The  Law  of  the  Tithe 


As  Set  Forth  in  the  Old  Testament 

Illustrated^  explained  and 
enforced  from  Biblical  and 
from  extra- Biblical  Sources 


By 
ARTHUR  V.  BABBS,  A.  B. 


Introduction  by 
BISHOP  JAMES  WHITFORD  BASHFORD 


SECOND  EDITION 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming     H.    Revell     Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


SV77/ 

^3 


Copyright,  19",  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  125  North  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  Street,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      icx>   Princes    Street 


«^i^ 


To 
Rev.  C.  L.  Baxter 

District  Superintendent, 
Council    Bluffs,     Iowa 
whose     interest    in    this  book    was 
steadily  maintained  from  the  moment 
of  its  inceptio7i  to  the  time  of  comple- 
tion, this  treatise  is  dedicated  as  an 
affectionate  token  of  personal  regard 
for  one 
whose  name 
is  now  a  tender  m^emory 


342227 


One-tenth  of  ripened  grain 

One-tenth  of  tree  and  vine, 
One-tenth  of  all  the  yield 

From  ten-tenths'  rain  or  shine. 

One-tenth  of  lowing  herds 
That  browse  on  hill  and  plain, 

One-tenth  of  bleating  flocks 
For  ten-tenths'  shine  and  rain. 

One-tenth  of  all  increase 
From  counting  room  and  mart, 

One-tenth  that  science  yields, 
One-tenth  of  every  art. 

One-tenth  of  loom  and  press, 

One-tenth  of  mill  and  mine. 
One-tenth  of  every  craft 

Wrought  out  by  gifts  of  Thine. 

One-tenth  of  glowing  words 

That  glowing  dollars  hold. 
One-tenth  of  written  thoughts 

That  turn  to  shining  gold. 

One-tenth  !  and  dost  Thou,  Lord, 

But  ask  this  meagre  loan, 
When  all  the  earth  is  Thine, 

And  all  we  have  Thine  own  ? 

— The  Churchman. 


Introduction 

By  Bishop  James  Whitford  Bashford 

FEOM  1889  to  1904  I  was  president  of  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University.  Writing  from 
memory  and  out  of  reach  of  all  catalogues, 
I  judge  that  some  three  hundred  students  entered 
the  university  each  school  year,  and  that  the 
attendance  ranged  from  nine  to  twelve  hundred 
annually.  It  was  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to 
keep  so  many  students  in  mind.  Moreover,  I  was 
obliged  during  these  years  to  travel  widely  in  order 
to  keep  in  contact  with  high  schools  and  thus  help 
secure  fresh  material  for  the  college ;  and  also  in 
order  to  keep  in  contact  with  the  churches  and 
friends  of  the  university  and  thus  help  secure  funds 
for  its  maintenance  and  upbuilding.  I  gave  much 
time  and  thought  to  the  selection  of  the  proper 
men  for  the  gradual  upbuilding  of  the  teaching 
corps  and  to  developing  a  spirit  of  cooperation  in 
the  faculty,  and  between  the  faculty  and  students. 
I  also  worked  earnestly  during  the  earlier  years  in 
preparation  for  some  class-room  teaching,  and 
throughout  the  entire  period  in  preparation  for 
the  chapel  services  and  the  monthly  lectures.  It  is 
not  surprising,  therefore,  that  I  was  never  able  to 
call  every  student  in  the  university  by  name,  and 
that  I  now  meet  former  students  whose  careers  at 
the  university  are  very  dim  in  memory.    I  am 

3 


4  I^TTRODUCTION 

astonished  rather  at  the  great  number  of  former 
students  whose  faces  and  names  and  characters  are 
indelibly  stamped  upon  my  memory. 

Most  distinct  among  these  students  is  Arthur  Y. 
Babbs,  of  the  class  of  1894.  As  a  student  he  was 
alert,  open  minded,  and  conscientious  and  gave 
promise  of  future  usefulness.  Nevertheless,  he 
grew  even  more  rapidly  than  we  anticipated  after 
graduation  else  he  would  not  have  been  able  to 
produce  a  volume  of  the  breadth  and  scholarship 
of  "  The  Law  of  the  Tithe."  From  the  words  used 
by  Mr.  Babbs  on  pages  230-231,  and  from  a  study 
of  the  volume  as  a  whole,  it  will  be  seen  that  he 
uses  the  word  "  law  "  in  the  title,  not  in  its  legal 
and  technical  sense,  and  not  even  in  the  sense  of 
the  Jewish  law,  but  rather  in  its  far  more  spiritual 
and  spiritually  binding  sense.  My  own  conception 
of  the  tithe  is  admirably  stated  by  Irenaeus,  quoted 
on  pages  110-112.  Indeed,  one  of  the  great  values 
of  Mr.  Babbs'  volume  is  the  wealth  of  learning 
upon  the  tithe  which  he  gathers  for  his  treatise 
from  ancient  and  modern  sources :  Beginning  with 
pagan  history,  discussing  with  remarkable  ability 
the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  following  the  history  of 
the  tithe  from  the  earliest  generations  of  the 
Christian  Church,  summoning  us  to  listen  to  the 
phrases  of  the  fathers,  and  finally  presenting  the 
place  of  the  tithe  in  the  modern  economy  of 
the  Church.  The  volume  is  strong  in  its  practical 
application  of  the  subject  and  this  application  is 
characterized  by  common  sense  and  spiritual  in- 


INTRODUCTION  6 

sight.  Hence,  in  responding  to  Mr.  Babbs'  invita- 
tion for  an  introduction,  what  more  can  I  do  than 
to  urge  the  reader  to  pass  through  my  fragmentary 
discussion  of  the  subject  to  the  ampler  fields  opened 
up  by  this  noble  volume. 

In  speaking  of  tithing,  mint,  anise,  and  cummin, 
and  neglecting  the  weightier  matters  of  judgment 
and  faith,  Jesus  says :  "  These  ought  ye  to  have 
done,  and  not  to  have  left  the  other  undone." 
Commentators  generally  hold  that  Jesus  in  this 
passage  does  not  exempt  Christians  from  tithing 
even  their  smallest  product;  for,  as  Bengel  well 
says,  "  Eminent  virtue  may  show  itself  in  minutest 
matters."  Paul  embodies  the  spirit  of  the  Master's 
teaching  in  his  exhortation  that  every  one  give  as 
God  has  prospered  him.  This  command  enjoins 
sympathetic  and  proportionate  giving,  as  tithing 
does ;  but  one's  prosperity  depends  upon  his  ex- 
penses as  well  as  his  receipts.  If  two  brothers  in 
the  church  earn  similar  salaries,  and  one  has  a 
large  family  and  much  sickness,  and  the  other  has 
a  small  family  and  good  health,  the  command  of 
Jesus  as  interpreted  by  Paul  would  not  exact  an 
equal  amount  from  each ;  but  rather  each  would  be 
expected  to  give  according  to  his  ability  as  God  has 
prospered  him.  In  this  case,  however,  we  are  sure 
that  even  the  poorer  brother  is  not  relieved  from 
systematic  and  proportionate  giving ;  and  we  believe 
that  nine-tenths  used  thoughtfully  and  conscien- 
tiously in  partnership  with  God  will  go  farther  than 
ten-tenths  used  with  no  regard  to  the  claims  of  God. 


6  INTRODUCTION 

Hence,  while  we  are  sure  that  the  teachings  of  the 
'New  Testament  enjoin  offerings  of  more  than  one- 
tenth  for  many  of  us,  we  hold  that  even  the  widow 
will  find  to-day,  as  in  the  days  of  Elijah,  her  dole 
multiplying  when  it  is  being  shared  with  God. 

In  a  word,  the  New  Testament  seems  to  me  to 
deal  with  tithing  as  with  the  Lord's  day,  and  with 
joining  the  Church,  giving  as  the  principles  which 
lead  to  general  observance  of  each,  but  not  entering 
into  details  or  prescribing  mechanical  rules. 

Philosophy  of  Tithing. — Close  examination  of 
tithing  will  show  that,  like  the  Sabbath  injunction 
and  every  other  command  of  the  Bible  given  for 
man's  good,  the  very  act  of  tithing  demands  a 
knowledge  of  one's  business,  promptness  in  meeting 
one's  obligations,  and  Christian  self-denial.  These 
are  the  underlying  principles  of  all  business  success. 
The  instances  are  very  rare  in  which  Christians 
under  the  influence  of  temporary  enthusiasm  or 
pressure  from  others  have  made  subscriptions 
which  later  embarrassed  them.  Such  instances 
are  rare,  because  Christian  giving  implies  self- 
denial,  and  self-denial  is  the  foundation  of  business 
success.  But  such  rare  instances  of  embarrassment 
through  Christian  generosity  are  impossible  under 
the  tithing  system ;  for  in  the  latter  case  as  the  man 
systematically  sets  aside  one-tenth  of  his  income  for 
the  Lord,  he  gives  what  he  already  has  put  into  the 
Lord's  treasury,  and  he  knows  exactly  what  he  has 
left  for  his  own  expenditure  and  investment.  The 
financial  failures  of  self-denying  Christians  are  ex- 


INTRODUCTION  7 

tremely  rare,  and  in  these  rare  instances  the  failure 
is  due  to  the  Christian's  lack  of  knowledge  of  his 
real  financial  condition — he  has  no  clear  conception 
of  his  income  or  his  expenses.  But  tithing  demands 
that  a  business  man  know  what  he  is  doing  finan- 
cially from  week  to  week,  or  from  month  to  month  ; 
hence  he  need  never  fail  for  any  large  amount. 
We  repeat,  therefore,  that  the  knowledge  of  one's 
financial  affairs,  systematic  and  prompt  payments, 
and  the  Christian  self-denial  which  tithing  demands, 
are  the  foundations  of  financial  success.  One  might 
safely  predict  on  philosophic  grounds  that  individ- 
uals or  communities  which  adopt  systematic,  pro- 
portionate, and  prompt  giving  will  enjoy  financial 
prosperity. 

Divine  Providence. — But  more  than  human 
philosophy  underlies  the  financial  success  of  sys- 
tematic, proportionate  givers.  The  divine  provi- 
dence is  the  key  to  history.  Christ  has  prophesied 
the  spiritual  conquest  of  the  world.  The  divine 
energies  are  pledged  and  consecrated  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  this  conquest.  But  sacrifices  of 
money  are  as  essential  to  the  conquest  of  the 
world  for  Christ  as  gifts  of  time  and  talents.  God 
therefore  is  seeking  financial  partners  as  really  as 
He  is  seeking  mental  and  spiritual  coworkers. 
When  God  finds  a  man  whom  He  can  fully  trust 
financially  the  divine  providence  guards  that  man 
and  guides  him  in  his  business  career.  This  is  the 
real  secret  of  the  financial  success  of  systematic, 
proportionate  givers. 


8  INTRODUCTION 

History. — Tithing  is  not  an  untried  principle. 
Thousands  upon  thousands  of  Christians  have 
adopted  it  in  recent  years,  and  have  thus  taken 
Christ  in  some  measure  into  partnership  with  them- 
selves in  their  business.  The  testimony  of  a  multi- 
tude of  these  had  been  gathered  in  Mr.  Duncan's 
"  Stewardship,"  and  it  is  substantially  unanimous,  as 
to  the  spiritual  and  financial  benefits  of  tithing  to 
those  who  practice  it.  On  the  other  hand,  out  of 
the  thousands  who  have  made  the  experiment,  we 
have  yet  to  learn  of  the  first  instance  in  which  a 
man's  business  has  been  wrecked  or  his  family 
brought  to  suffering  by  such  prompt  and  pro- 
portionate giving  as  tithing  enjoins.  The  system 
has  been  tried  not  only  by  individuals,  but  by 
churches,  and  in  some  measure  by  an  entire  people. 
The  Jews  have  in  some  measure  observed  tithing 
as  a  proof  of  their  faith  in  Jehovali ;  and  despite 
the  wide-spread  and  long-continued  oppression  to 
which  this  people  has  been  subject,  no  other  people 
has  enjoyed  such  financial  prosperity.  We  some- 
times think  that  the  financial  success  of  the  Jews  is 
a  constant  miracle — a  proof  that  obedience  along 
one  line  of  righteous  living  brings  its  consequent 
prosperity. 

It  may  be  objected  that  tithing  prevailed  in  some 
measure  from  the  seventh  century,  a.  d.,  to  the 
Keformation,  and  that  it  led  to  vast  corruption  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  fold.  But  the  very  riches  of 
the  mediasval  Church  show  that  tithing  at  least 
secured  income ;  and  had  the  priests  and  bishops 


INTRODUCTION  9 

been  as  faithful  in  holding  themselves  and  their 
people  to  obedience  in  keeping  the  other  com- 
mands of  the  Bible  as  they  were  faithful  in  exact- 
ing tithes,  there  would  have  been  no  corruption 
and  no  need  of  a  Keformation.^  We  do  not  claim 
that  tithing  is  of  such  supreme  value  that  it  can 
serve  as  a  substitute  for  all  other  faithful  and 
unselfish  service.  Moreover  tithing  as  practiced 
by  the  Koman  Catholic  Church  during  the  Dark 
Ages  was  exacted  by  law,  and  was  enforced  by 
legal  and  spiritual  penalties.  Such  a  system  of  en- 
forced Christian  virtues  degrades  the  people  upon 
whom  it  is  imposed,  and  corrupts  those  who  practice 
it.  The  imposition  and  collection  of  tithes  as  legal 
tax,  and  the  entire  control  of  them  after  collection 
by  ecclesiastics,  would  again  lead  to  oppression  and 
corruption.  But  for  a  Christian  voluntarily  to  keep 
an  account  of  his  income,  and  consecrate  a  portion 
of  it  to  the  Lord,  and  administer  it  himself  during 
his  lifetime,  does  not  expose  him  to  any  oppression 
of  the  Church  or  any  danger  of  corruption. 

Possibilities. — We  have  entered  the  twentieth 
century.  Every  earnest  Christian  feels  instinct- 
ively that  the  Church  is  not  prepared  for  the  great 
responsibilities  which  are  resting  upon  her.  Some 
prophesy  a  period  of  spiritual  declension;  others 
prophesy  a  coming  revival ;  all  feel  the  necessity 
of  marked  advance  in  the  Christian  Church.  The 
four  reforms  which  every  Christian  ought  to  seek 
upon  his  knees  are :  (1)  A  revival  of  personal  relig- 
ion ;  (2)  the  consecration  of  wealth ;  (3)  the  sane- 


10  INTRODUCTION 

tification  of  secular  life ;  (4)  the  evangelization  of 
the  world.  The  four  reforms  hang  together.  Any 
one  of  them  fully  inaugurated,  and  the  others  will 
surely  follow.  Any  one  of  them  neglected,  and 
the  other  three  will  suffer.  A  revival  will  furnish 
the  motive ;  consecration  will  furnish  the  means ; 
and  the  sanctification  of  our  secular  life  will  lead 
to  the  evangelization  of  the  world.  No  prophet 
can  foresee  how  much  the  taking  of  God  into 
partnership  by  our  laity,  and  the  laying  of  at  least 
one-tenth  of  our  incomes  upon  the  altar  of  humanity, 
would  lead  to  the  cleansing  and  consecration  of  the 
secular  life  of  Christian  nations,  and  furnish  the 
means  for  the  conversion  of  the  world.  We  sug- 
gest as  the  program  for  the  century  which  is  upon 
us:  The  consecration  of  our  lives  to  Christ,  the 
Christianization  of  our  business  and  art  and  politics, 
the  devotion  of  at  least  a  tenth  of  our  income  to 
the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  and  the  evangel- 
ization of  the  world. 


Contents 

I.  The  Universality  of  the  Tithing  Idea         .       13 

II.  The  Tithing  Law  Stated   .         .         •         .       26 

III.  The  Material  and  Social  Application  of  the 

Tithing  Law 32 

IV.  The      Problem     of     Ministerial      Support 

(b.  c.  1500) 64. 

V.  The  Voices  of  the  Hebrew  Fathers  (Proph- 

ets AND  TaLMUDISTS)        .  .  .  .82 

VI.  The  Voices  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Christian 

Church        ......     104. 

VII.  The  Voices  of  Men  Eminent  in  the  Modern 

Church        .         .         .         .         .         ,123 

VIII.  The  History  of  the  Tithe  in  the  Church 

Through  THE  Ages        .         .         .         .130 

IX.  Rome  or  Jerusalem,  Which  ?        .         .         •     159 

X.  An  Instance  of  Bible  Giving        .         .         •     '  7  > 

XI.  Tithing  Versus  Church  Fairs,  Dinners,  and 

Suppers 183 

XII.  Tithing  in  Concrete  Modern  Instances        .      196 

XIII.  Answers  to  Objections  to  the  Tithing  Sys- 

tem, AND  Summary  of  Arguments  for  it     201 

11 


12  CONTENTS 

XIV.  How  TO  Organize  a  Tithing  Church 

XV.  A  Vision  of  the  Church  to  Be 
Appendix    .... 
Bibliography 
Etymological  Note    . 


Allusions     to    Tithing    in    the 
Writers 

Biblical  References  to  Tithing 


Classical 


Index  of  Passages  in  Old  Testament  and  New 
Testament  Referring  to  Tithing 


220 

227 
241 
249 
251 

252 
253 

254 


THE  UOTYEESAUTY  OF  THE  TITHIKG  IDEA 

OKE  of  the  very  striking  proofs  of  the 
spread  of  the  law  of  the  tithe  all  over 
the  ancient  world  is  found  in  this,  that 
it  has  struck  into  the  very  roots  of  the  languages 
of  mankind.  If  the  Latin  is  taken  as  an  instance, 
we  find  in  it  at  once  the  word  "  decumanus,"  "  of  or 
belonging  to  the  tenth  part "  ;  meaning  also  "  the 
tax  consisting  of  one-tenth  " ;  then  it  means  also 
"  a  farmer  of  tithes  "  ;  and  in  the  feminine  form  of 
the  word,  "decumana,"  signifies  "the  wife  of  a 
tithe  farmer." '  We  read  moreover  that  one  of  the 
gates  of  a  Roman  military  camp  was  called  the 
"  Decuman,"  or  Tithe  Gate.  If  we  carry  our  in- 
quiry over  into  the  Greek,  we  at  once  meet  the 
verb  "  dekato-o,"  "  to  take  a  tenth  of  a  person  "  ; 
"  dekate,"  "  the  tenth  part,"  "  the  tithe  " ;  likewise 
we  find  the  word  "  dekateuo,"  "  to  exact  the  tenths, 
the  tithe,  take  tithe  of  a  person  ;  to  take  the  tenth 
of  booty,  especially  as  an  offering  to  the  gods ;  also, 
to  take  the  tenth  as  a  tax  on  all  imports."  Further, 
we  encounter  the  Greek  word  "  dekateuterion,"  "  the 
tenths  office,  custom-house " ;  and  "  dekateutes," 
which  "means  as  in  Latin,  "  a  farmer  of  tithes,  tithe 
^See  aoj  unabridged  Latin  lezioon, 

18 


14  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

collector."  ^  The  Hebrew  language  contributed  to 
the  common  stock  of  the  nations  the  word  "  'ashar," 
"  a  tithe  " ;  and  the  verb  "  'ashar  "  is  thus  treated 
by  Fuerst  in  his  Hebrew  Lexicon  :  "  Pihel "  "  'iser," 
future  "  y'ser,"  "  to  give  the  tenth  part,"  with 
accusative  of  the  object,  Deuteronomy  xiv.  22,  and 
"1"  of  the  person,  Genesis  xxviii.  22;  absolute, 
Nehemiah  x.  38.  Hifil.  "  he  'shir,"  infinitive  con- 
struct with  "  1 "  or  "  b,"  excluding  the  "  h,"  ^  etc. 
So  much  for  a  few  words  from  three  old  world 
languages.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  so  deeply 
was  the  notion  of  the  sacred  tenth  ingrained  in  the 
ancient  way  of  thinking  that  the  law  of  the  tithe 
has  left  its  traces  on  all  the  great  languages.  In- 
deed, so  far  as  the  Greeks  and  Eomans  are  con- 
cerned, the  custom  of  tithing  had  become,  even  in 
remote  classical  times,  so  deep-seated,  that  there 
was  a  distinctive  vocabulary  for  the  different  proc- 
esses belonging  to  the  business  of  tithing;  and 
this  recalls  Max  Mueller's  famous  argument  about 
the  transactions  common  to  the  ancient  world 
which  received  root  names  so  strongly  resembling 
each  other  that  their  common  parentage  could 
easily  be  traced  out.  If  this  test  be  applied  to  the 
tithing  law,  then  certainly  resemblances  and  proofs 
of  great  antiquity  can  at  once  be  discovered ;  and 
the  crudest  examination  of  the  above  lexical  exhibit 
for  Greeks  and  Komans  will  at  once  show  that  in 
Hellas  and  in  Italy  the  system  of  tithing  had  be- 
come so  firmly  fixed  and  so  widely  extended  in  its 
>  Liddell  &  Soott'a  Gr.-Eng.  Lex.  ^  Fuerst's  Heb.  Lex. 


UNIVERSALITY  OP  THE  TITHING  IDEA     15 

practice  that  quite  a  little  family  of  words  had 
grown  up,  both  in  Greek  and  in  Latin,  to  describe 
all  the  operations  that  had  become  so  common  that 
they  were  in  fact  somewhat  complex ;  and  it 
proves,  too,  that  there  was  floating  in  the  minds  of 
these  ancient  people  the  same  notion  which  some 
modern  poet  has  expressed : 

"  That  man  may  last  but  never  lives 
Who  much  receives  and  nothing  gives, 
Whom  none  can  love,  whom  none  can  thank, — 
Creation^  s  blot,  creation' s  blank. ' ' 

If  what  we  find  in  the  dictionaries  is  suggestive 
and  even  startling,  it  is  true  that  greater  surprise 
awaits  us  when  we  commence  to  search  history. 
Pausanias  in  his  "  Description  of  Greece,"  written 
about  A.  D.  200,  and  when  read  seeming  as  fresh 
as  Baedeker's  modern  "  Guide-book,"  in  describing 
the  splendid  temple  which  contained  the  Phidian 
statue  of  Jupiter  Olympus,  gives  an  inscription 
which  he  saw  there  on  a  golden  shield  which  said, 
"  This  temple's  golden  shield  is  a  votive  offering 
from  the  Lacedaemonians  at  Tanagra  and  their 
allies,  a  gift  from  the  Argives,  the  Athenians  and 
the  lonians,  a  tithe  offering  for  success  in  war."  * 

In  another  ancient  writer,  Justin's  "  History  of 
the  World,"  Book  XYIII,  Chapter  r,  I  find  this  : 
"  At  this  time  (the  time  of  the  siege  of  Carthage) 
Cartalo,  the  son  of  Malchus  the  exiled  general, 
returning  by  his  father's  camp  from  Tyre  (whither 

*  Pausanias,  **  Description  of  Greece,"  Book  V,  Chap.  10. 


16  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

he  had  been  sent  by  the  Carthaginians,  to  cany 
the  tenth  of  the  plunder  of  Sicily,  which  his  father 
had  taken,  to  Hercules)  and  being  desired  by  his 
father  to  wait  on  him,  replied  that  he  *  would  dis- 
charge his  religious  duties  to  the  public,  before 
those  of  merely  private  obligation.' "  We  may 
pause  in  our  reading  of  Justin  to  wonder  how  a 
regard  for  the  tithe  and  a  feeling  that  it  was  owed 
to  the  god  outweighed  in  the  mind  of  this  heathen 
son  even  his  natural  affection  for  an  exiled  father  ; 
and  the  answer  to  our  wondering  can  only  be  found 
in  this,  that  among  primitive  peoples  the  nearness 
to  Eden  and  to  the  Dispersion  had  left  in  the 
minds  of  the  Carthaginians  a  deep  sense  of  obliga- 
tion to  the  true  God,  which  had  now  become 
covered  up  and  obscured  in  the  notion  of  paying 
tribute  to  Hercules ;  a  heathen  notion  that  had  not 
been  corrupted  with  paganism  so  far  that  the  feel- 
ing "  I  ought,"  "  I  owe  "  tithes  to  God,  had  lost  its 
force  in  the  human  conscience.  Not  only  this,  but 
we  find  a  son,  whose  heart  was  bursting  with 
anxiety  to  see  a  homesick  and  exiled  father,  able 
to  restrain  even  that  most  natural  desire,  and  to 
postpone  a  happy  meeting,  because  carried  away 
with  the  intensity  and  the  force  of  a  higher  obli- 
gation. 

Hear  the  sequel  of  Justin's  story.  "  His  father, 
though  he  was  indignant  at  his  conduct,  was 
nevertheless  afraid  to  obstruct  him  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  religious  offices."  Wonderful 
that  a  father  had  so  deep  a  sense  of  the  "  ought- 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  TITHING  IDEA     17 

ness  "  of  the  tithes,  that  he  was  willing  to  overlook 
and  to  condone  what  otherwise  would  have  been 
deemed  to  be  gross  filial  neglect.  In  his  notice  of 
a  war  between  the  Crotonians  and  the  Locrians,  in 
which  the  Locrians,  hoping  for  divine  favor,  had 
sent  tithes  to  the  Oracle  at  Delphi,  Justin  further 
says :  "  This  affair  becoming  known,  the  Crotonians 
themselves  also  sent  deputies  to  the  Oracle  at 
Delphi,  asking  the  way  to  victory  and  the  pros- 
perous termination  of  the  war.  The  answer  given 
was  that  the  enemies  must  be  conquered  by  vows, 
before  they  could  be  conquered  by  arms.  They 
accordingly  vowed  the  tenth  part  of  the  spoil  to 
Apollo,  but  the  Locrians,  getting  information  of 
this  vow,  and  the  god's  answer,  vowed  a  ninth 
part,  keeping  the  matter,  however,  secret,  that 
they  might  not  be  outdone  in  vows."  Why  the 
idea  in  the  minds  of  these  two  peoples,  that  Apollo 
would  favor  the  side  of  the  tithers,  and  give  them 
victory?  The  one-ninth  contributed  by  the  Loc- 
rians, as  an  offset  to  the  tenth  of  the  Crotonians,  is 
perhaps  the  shrewdest  transaction  in  tithing  arith- 
metic in  all  profane  history  ;  and  yet  there  is  a 
sacred  notion  underlying  the  history  of  this  trans- 
action, which  ought  to  prevent  us  from  idly  smiling 
over  it,  but  rather  wondering  and  praising  God, 
that  His  truth  had  lodged  so  deeply  in  the  mind 
even  of  a  beclouded  and  in  a  large  sense  a  deluded 
apostate  from  the  morning-time  orthodoxy  of  the 
ancient  world.  The  outcome  of  this  bidding  in 
vows  for  the  favor  of   Apollo  was  that   15,000 


18  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Locrians,  unable  longer  to  bid  their  wealth,  gave 
all  that  was  left, — themselves — vowing  to  die  in 
battle ;  and  so  desperate  was  their  onset  upon 
120,000  Crotonians,  eight  to  one,  that  the  latter 
were  hopelessly  defeated.*  Would  God  that  more 
defeats  of  the  enemies  of  righteousness  in  the 
modern  world  were  caused  by  the  giving  of  the 
tithe, — first,  and  last, — by  giving  of  ourselves — to 
die  to  carnality,  to  sin  and  to  Satan.  Then  would 
the  Cross  of  Christ  with  a  pace  accelerated  tenfold 
sweep  victoriously  on. 

Selden,  in  his  work  on  "  Tithes  "  mentioned  in 
the  preface,  of  which  the  author  of  this  chapter  has 
a  copy  from  the  original  edition,  which  James  the 
First  tried  to  have  the  common  hangman  secure 
and  burn,^  but  which  escaped  the  clutches  of  that 
monarch,  to  enrich  a  private  library  in  southwest- 
ern Iowa,  says  that  the  Arabians  by  law  required 
every  merchant  to  offer  a  tenth  of  his  frankincense 
to  the  priest  for  their  God ;  that  the  Phoenicians, 
following  the  example  of  Abraham,  devoted  a  tenth 
of  the  spoils  of  war  to  holy  uses.  He  says,  further- 
more, that  "  the  Carthaginians  brought  this  custom 
from  Tyre,  to  which  city  they  sent  their  tithes 
regularly  by  one  clothed  in  purple."  In  purple, 
the  royal  color,  the  color  donned  by  princes  and  by 
kings  and  by  their  lords ;  the  color  which  gave 
Tyre  and  Sidon  their  fame,  and  which  even  the 


>  Justin's  ''History  of  the  World,"  Book  XVIII,  Chap.  7. 
' Euoyolopeedia  Britanuioa,  artioles  "Tithes,"  ''Selden." 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  TITHING  IDEA     19 

kings  of  Babylon  rejoiced  to  put  on ;  and  yet  we 
have  here  so  high  a  regard  among  heathen  for  the 
saoredness  of  the  tithing  law  that  they  clothed  one 
of  their  number  in  the  robes  of  a  king,  as  though 
to  tithe  were  one  of  the  most  princely  actions  of 
which  man  is  capable,  and  as  though  the  tithe 
being  transported  with  such  honor  were  too  sacred 
to  be  handled  except  by  royal  hands.  Shall  hea- 
thenism, then,  rise  up  to  rebuke  the  princes  of  the 
modern  mart,  who,  with  unholy  and  irreverent 
hands,  divert  the  tithe  which  belongs  to  God,  "holy 
unto  "  Him,  into  the  polluted  channels  of  modem- 
day  business  ?  Not  only  was  this  ambassador 
clothed  as  royalty  was,  but  his  robes  were  also 
priestly.  Whence  it  is  to  be  seen  that  the  notion 
of  the  sacredness  of  the  tithe  had  developed  so  far 
in  the  ancient  world  that  its  payment  was  thought 
only  to  be  properly  made  when  surrounded  with 
the  dignity  and  the  glory  of  devout  worship.  It  is 
further  said  of  the  Carthaginians  that  when  for  a 
time,  owing  to  the  neglect  of  the  tithe,  they  felt  the 
sting  of  continued  misfortune,  they  remitted  the 
tenth  and  were  given  deliverance  and  prosperity. 
This  seems  like  a  heathen  echo  of  the  prophet's 
words  in  Holy  Writ :  "  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into 
the  storehouse  and  prove  Me  now  therewith,  saith 
God,  and  I  will  open  unto  you  the  windows  of 
heaven  and  will  pour  you  out  a  blessing  that 
there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it."  * 
Heathenism  knew,  as  did  the  Hebrew,  that  the  way 
iMal.  iii.  10. 


20  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

to  have  the  horn  of  plenty  poured  out  was  to  tithe 
to  God. 

Didymus,  an  Alexandrian  grammarian,  says  that 
it  was  the  custom  of  the  Greeks  to  consecrate  the 
tithe  of  their  gains  to  the  gods.  Xenophon,  after 
the  Eetreat  of  the  Ten  Thousand  from  Asia  Minor, 
together  with  his  captains,  consecrated  the  tithe  of 
his  gains  to  Apollo  and  to  Diana,  and  built  a  temple 
supported  by  tithes.'  The  money  for  this  temple- 
building  was  derived  from  the  sale  of  captives,  and 
is  closely  allied  to  the  Hebrew  law  as  to  living 
booty,  mentioned  in  Chapter  lY  (q.  v.). 

Clement  of  Alexandria  says  that  before  the  mak- 
ing of  images  was  invented,  there  were  at  Delphi 
holy  pillars  on  which  the  tithes  offered  by  worship- 
pers were  hung. 

Croesus  induced  Cyrus  to  proclaim  to  his  soldiers 
that  when  they  should  capture  Sardis,  the  tithe  of 
the  spoils  of  the  city  must  be  given  to  Jupiter. 

The  passage  in  Pliny  noted  above  is  as  follows : 
"  The  incense,  after  being  collected,  is  carried  on 
camels'  backs  to  Sabota,  at  which  place  a  single 
gate  is  left  open  for  its  admission.  To  deviate 
from  the  high  road  while  conveying  it,  the  laws 
have  made  a  capital  offense."  Yes,  even  the  king's 
business  required  haste  among  the  Arabians.  "  At 
this  place  the  priests  take  by  measure,  and  not  by 
weight,  a  tenth  part  in  honor  of  their  god,  whom 
they  call  Sabis ;  indeed,  it  is  not  allowable  to  dis- 
pose of  it  before  this  has  been  done:  out  of  this 
» **  Anabaaifl,"  Book  V,  Chap.  3. 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  TITHING  IDEA     21 

tenth,  the  public  expenses  are  defrayed,  for  the 
divinity  generously  entertains  all  those  strangers 
who  have  made  a  certain  number  of  days'  journeys 
in  coming  thither."  * 

Cimon,  the  Athenian  general,  five  hundred  years 
before  Christ,  when  he  had  defeated  the  Persians 
in  battle,  took  out  the  tenth  of  the  spoils  and  dedi- 
cated them  to  his  god. 

Herodotus  says  that  after  the  Phocians  defeated 
the  Thessalians,  they  set  apart  a  tenth  of  the  booty 
to  the  Delphian  god. 

Demosthenes,  the  great  and  the  eloquent,  the 
victorious  opposer  of  ^schines,  in  his  public  ad- 
dress on  one  occasion  used  all  the  power  of  the 
silver  tongue  of  a  world  orator  of  the  ages  to  de- 
nounce as  sacrilege  the  withholding  from  the  gods 
of  the  tithes  due  them. 

It  is  said  of  the  Pelasgians,  that  bemg  punished 
with  a  barren  year  for  the  neglect  of  the  tithe,  they 
removed  the  judgment  by  vowing  the  tenth  of  their 
profits  to  the  gods. 

LucuUus,  the  richest  Eoman  of  history,  taking 
account  of  his  large  estate,  vowed  all  the  tithes  to 
the  gods.  Hear  this,  ye  modern  captains  of  in- 
dustry, ye  men  of  princely  fortunes ! 

Hercules  is  the  god  most  frequently  mentioned 
as  the  receiver  of  Eoman  tithes.  Lucius  Mummius, 
B.  c.  146,  captured  Corinth,  and  devoted  the  spoils 
to  Hercules. 

Mythical  story  relates  that  when  Hercules  had 

ipUny's  ''Natural  History,"  Book  XII,  Chap.  32. 


22  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

found  the  oxen  which  Cacus  had  stolen,  he  dedi- 
cated an  altar  at  Rome,  and  requested  the  people 
to  consecrate  their  tithes  there. 

In  Eg3rpt,  there  were  special  safeguards  thrown 
around  the  tithe.  The  duty  of  tithing  is  frequently 
mentioned  in  the  Egyptian  documents.  Maspero 
says  that  a  tenth  part  of  the  cattle,  slaves  and 
precious  metals  was  set  apart  for  the  service  of  the 
gods ;  and,  in  that  work  of  his,  "  The  Dawn  of 
Civilization,"  speaking  of  ancient  Egypt,  says: 
"  The  gods  of  the  side  which  was  victorious  shared 
with  it  in  the  triumph  and  received  a  tithe  of  the 
spoil  as  the  price  of  their  help."  *  Of  the  king  he 
says  :  "  As  soon  as  he  had  triumphed  by  their  com- 
mand, he  sought  before  all  else  to  reward  them 
amply  for  the  assistance  they  had  given.  He 
poured  a  tithe  of  the  spoils  into  the  coffers  of  their 
treasury,  he  made  over  a  part  of  the  conquered 
country  to  their  domain,  he  granted  them  a  tale  of 
the  prisoners  to  cultivate  their  lands  or  to  work 
at  their  buildings.  .  .  ."^  This  is  said  of  a 
period  at  least  fifteen  hundred  years  before  Moses. 

China  accepted  the  law  of  the  tithe  very  early, 
for  in  the  book  "  Li  Ki "  it  is  said  :  ^*  A  tenth  of 
the  year's  expenditures  was  for  sacrifices."  ^ 

Sayce  says  that  the  "  Esra  "  or  tithe  was  paid  by 
the  Babylonians  to  the  temples,  on  the  produce  of 
Babylonian  land. 

Hilprecht    says :     (The    tablets    from    Sippara) 

>  "The  Dawn  of  Civilization,"  p.  302.  *  Ibid.,  p.  706. 

»  "Li  Ki,"  Book  lU,  Chap.  2,  sec.  27. 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  TITHING  IDEA     23 

"  make  us  acquainted  with  the  duties  and  daily  oc- 
cupations of  the  different  classes  of  temple  officers 
and  their  large  body  of  servants,  with  the  ordinary 
tithes  paid  by  the  faithful,  and  with  many  other 
revenues  accruing  to  the  sanctuary  from  all  kinds 
of  gifts,  from  the  lease  of  real  estate,  slaves  and 
animals,  and  from  the  sale  of  the  products  of  the 
fields  and  stables.  As  tithes  were  frequently  paid 
in  kind,  it  became  necessary  to  establish  regular 
depots  along  the  principal  canals,  where  scribes 
stored  and  registered  everything  that  came  in. 
Among  the  goods  thus  received  we  notice  vege- 
tables, meat,  and  other  perishable  objects  which  the 
temples  alone  could  not  consume,  and  which,  there- 
fore, had  to  be  sold  or  exchanged  before  they 
decayed  or  decreased  in  value.  Ko  wonder  that 
apart  from  its  distinet  religious  sphere  the  great 
temple  of  Shamash  at  Sippara  in  many  respects 
resembled  one  of  the  great  business  firms  of  Babel 
or  Mppur."  He  says  in  regard  to  some  Mppur 
tablets  :  "  They  consisted  of  business  documents  re- 
ferring to  the  registry  of  tithes,  and  to  the  admin- 
istration of  the  temple  property."  '  Some  of  these 
documents  date  back  to  Sargon's  time,  or  to  b.  c. 
3800. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  India  that  has  been  said 
of  Egypt  and  Italy  and  Greece  and  China,  that 
anciently,  very  early  in  fact,  the  notion  of  the  tithe 
took  deep  root  there.  Dutt,  in  his  well-known 
work  on  "  Ancient  India,"  says :  "  Those  who  have 
» ''Explorations,"  pp.  275,  311. 


24  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

charge  of  the  city  are  divided  into  six  bodies  of 
five  each.  The  sixth  and  last  class  consists  of  those 
who  collect  the  tenth  of  the  prices  of  the  articles 
sold."  *  This  also  dates  back  to  near  the  period  of 
the  Babylonian  Sargon,  or  to  near  the  time  of 
Enoch. 

So  general,  therefore,  is  this  testimony  on  the 
antiquity  of  tithing  that  we  are  constrained  to  adopt 
the  statement  of  Monacutius :  "  Instances  are  men- 
tioned in  history  of  some  nations  who  did  not  offer 
sacrifices ;  but  in  the  annals  of  all  times  none  are 
found  who  did  not  pay  tithes." 

TO   SUM   UP,  WHAT  HAVE  WE  FOUND  ? 

1.  We  have  discovered  that  the  idea  of  the  tithe 
covered  all  of  the  ancient  world,  from  the  extremes 
of  Western  Europe  to  the  limits  of  the  Farther 
East. 

2.  The  ancients,  even  those  not  Hebrew  by 
birth,  had  the  idea  that  to  neglect  the  tithe  would 
bring  disaster  from  God. 

3.  The  universality  of  the  practice  of  tithing 
argues  that  there  was  and  is  deep  in  the  conscience 
and  in  the  consciousness  of  man  a  sense  of  obliga- 
tion. The  soul  cried  out,  and  continues  yet  to  cry, 
"  I  ought,"  "  I  owe  it." 

4.  Since  this  feeling  of  deep  obligation  to  God 
was  so  wide-spread  and  at  the  same  time  so  ancient, 
it  follows  that  in  the  morning  time  of  the  world, 
God,  by  a  revelation  of  His  will,  had  promulgated 

1  "  Ancient  India,"  Vol.  II,  p.  38. 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  TITHING  IDEA     25 

and  enforced  the  law  of  the  tithe  for  all  the  sons  of 
men ;  and  that  to  come  back  to  it,  as  we  are  doing 
to-day,  is  to  return  to  one  of  the  most  ancient  as 
well  as  to  one  of  the  most  sacred  laws  ever  given 
to  the  race.  Where  then  shall  we  look  in  order  to 
find  that  promulgation  ?  It  is  to  the  record  given 
in  Genesis,  where  it  is  said  that  two  men  called 
Cain  and  Abel  offered  sacrifices  at  altars  they  had 
builded  in  Jehovah's  honor.  Well  may  I  close  with 
a  quotation  from  TertuUian  written  by  that  learned 
Father  of  the  Church  in  the  third  century,  in  which 
he  says  that  Cain's  sacrifice  was  unacceptable  be- 
cause untithed ;  or  to  quote  accurately : 

"  God  had  respect  unto  Abel,  and  unto  his  gifts  ; 
but  unto  Cain  and  unto  his  gifts  He  had  not 
respect.  And  God  said  unto  Cain,  Why  is  thy 
coimtenance  fallen  ?  hast  thou  not — if  thou  offerest 
indeed  aright,  but  dost  not  divide  aright — sinned  ? 
Hold  thy  peace.  For  unto  thee  (shall)  thy  conver- 
sion (be)  and  he  shall  lord  it  over  thee."  * 

Paul  says,  "  By  faith  Abel  offered  unto  God  a 
more  excellent  (abundant)  sacrifice  than  Cain."  ^ 
And  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  Abels  to-day  who 
are  abundant  and  acceptable  givers  are  few,  and  the 
Cains  "  who  do  not  rightly  divide,"  "  whose  coun- 
tenances are  fallen"  and  who  have  therefore 
"  sinned,"  are  a  great  legion. 

*  Tertnllian,  "  Answer  to  the  Jews,"  Chap.  5. 
'  Hebrews  xi.  4. 


II 

THE  TITHING  LAW  STATED 

IT  is  interesting  to  note  the  growth  of  the  germ 
idea  of  the  tithe  from  the  days  of  Cain  and 
Abel  down  to  the  period  in  which  Jesus  re- 
buked the  Pharisees  for  not  keeping  the  moral  as 
Well  as  the  legal  requirements  of  the  Law  of  the 
Tithe.  He  did  not  find  fault  with  their  tithing. 
"  These  ought  ye  to  have  done  "  ;  but  the  criticism 
was  on  the  fact  that  they  had  neglected  the 
"  weightier  matters "  of  the  law,  and  that  they 
"  ought  not  to  have  left  the  other  undone." 

The  children  of  the  most  primitive  of  the 
patriarchs  offered : 

Clean  beasts,  Drink  offerings, 

Birds,-  Oa. 

Fruits, 

And  additions  were  made  to  these  things  from 
time  to  time  until,  in  the  latter  days  of  the  Mosaic 
economy,  the  offerings  became  multitudinous  in 
variety,  and  countless  in  multitude. 

Jacob  appears  in  the  long  distant  past,  as  the 
digger  of  a  yet  existing  and  famous  well,  and  as 
the  earliest  recorded  vower  of  tithes.  He  is  not 
the  first  mentioned  tither,  but  the  earliest  spoken 
of  as  having  made  a  specific  promise  to  God  that  if 

26 


THE  TITHING  LAW  STATED  2Y 

He  would  do  thus  and  so,  Jacob  would  honor  Him 
with  a  tenth  of  his  possessions.  This  vow  followed 
a  vision  of  the  night  and  it  is  not  for  us  to  forget 
that  the  ladder  from  the  skies,  with  angels  ascend- 
ing and  descending  its  rounds,  was  closely  con- 
nected with  an  instance  of  patriarchal  giving. 
These  primitive  fathers  saw  great  visions  and  gave. 
They  won  great  victories  in  battle  and — gave. 
They  desired  God  to  do  special  things  for  them 
and —  gave.  When  material  means  were  exhausted 
they  gave  themselves. 

Leviticus  xxvii.  30  states  the  first  great  part  of 
the  law  of  the  tithe.  Caesar,  commencing  his 
"  Commentaries,"  divides  the  Gaul  which  he  subju- 
gated into  "three  parts."  God  has  divided  the 
"Law  of  the  Tithe"  into  three  great  tracts  of 
divine  direction,  each  of  them  important,  each  of 
them  in  its  own  particular  sphere,  and  with  its  own 
particular  significance.  Within  the  limits  of  each 
of  these  continents  of  divine  Providence,  there 
were  minutiae  to  be  worked  out  by  the  devout  Jew, 
which  still  further  reflect  the  goodness  and  the 
watch-care  of  a  merciful  God.  The  language  in 
Leviticus  which  refers  to  the  first  tithe  (for  there 
were  three)  is  as  follows :  "  And  all  the  tithe  of 
the  land,  whether  of  the  seed  of  the  land,  or  of  the 
fruit  of  the  tree,  is  the  Lord's :  it  is  holy  unto  the 
Lord.  And  if  a  man  will  at  all  redeem  aught  of 
his  tithes,  he  shall  add  thereto  the  fifth  part 
thereof.  And  concerning  the  tithe  of  the  herd  or 
of  the  flock,  even  of  whatsoever  passeth  under  the 


28  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

rod,  the  tenth  shall  be  holy  unto  the  Lord.  He 
shall  not  search  whether  it  be  good  or  bad,  neither 
shall  he  change  it ;  and  if  he  change  it  at  all,  then 
both  it  and  the  change  thereof  shall  be  holy :  it 
shall  not  be  redeemed." 

Let  me  take  the  word  of  God  and  hold  the  field 
against  all  champions  on  this  thesis :  That  the  tithe  is 
holy  unto  the  Lord^  and  has  never  ceased  to  he  that. 
Holiness  is  not  a  something  that  flits  from  one  thing 
to  another  /  hut  the  thing  holy  unto  God  is  holy  for 
aye.  There  has  heen  no  abrogation,  no  passing 
away  of  this  law  respecting  the  holiness  of  the  tithe, 
hut  Christ  has  fulfilled  it,  that  is,  filled  it  full  to 
repletion  with  suggestions  that  ought  to  impel  us  to 
outclass  the  Jew  in  his  giving  under  the  law  /  hut 
alas  for  us,  he  has  outranked  and  outclassed  his 
Gentile  hrother  /  and  when  we  compare  the  Mosaic 
Church  through  the  ages  with  the  Christian  Church 
through  the  ages,  it  must  he  confessed  that  there  is  a 
large  margin  of  obedience  on  the  side  of  the  Jew. 

The  law  as  to  the  second  tithe  is  found  in  Deu- 
teronomy xiv.  22-29 :  "  Thou  shalt  truly  tithe 
all  the  increase  of  thy  seed,  that  the  field  bringeth 
forth  year  by  year.  And  thou  shalt  eat  before  the 
Lord  thy  God,  in  the  place  which  He  shall  choose 
to  place  His  name  there,  the  tithe  of  thy  corn,  of 
thy  wine,  and  of  thine  oil,  and  the  firstlings  of  thy 
herds  and  of  thy  flocks ;  that  thou  mayest  learn  to 
fear  the  Lord  thy  God  always.  And  if  the  way 
be  too  long  for  thee,  so  that  thou  art  not  able  to 
carry  it;  or  if  the  place  be  too  far  from  thee, 


THE  TITHING  LAW  STATED  29 

which  the  [Lord  thy  God  shall  choose  to  set  His 
name  there,  when  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  blessed 
thee ;  then  shalt  thou  turn  it  into  money,  and  bind 
up  the  money  in  thine  hand,  and  shalt  go  unto  the 
place  which  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  choose :  and 
thou  shalt  bestow  that  money  for  whatsoever  thy 
soul  lusteth  after,  for  oxen,  or  for  sheep,  or  for 
wine  or  for  strong  drink,  or  for  whatsoever  thy 
soul  desireth  :  and  thou  shalt  eat  there  before  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  thou  shalt  rejoice,  thou,  and  thy 
household,  and  the  Levite  that  is  within  thy  gates ; 
thou  shalt  not  forsake  him ;  for  he  hath  no  part 
nor  inheritance  with  thee.  At  the  end  of  three 
years  thou  shalt  bring  forth  all  the  tithe  of  thine 
increase  the  same  year,  and  shalt  lay  it  up  withiu 
thy  gates:  and  the  Levite  (because  he  hath  no 
part  nor  inheritance  with  thee),  and  the  stranger, 
and  the  fatherless,  and  the  widow,  which  are  within 
thy  gates,  shall  come,  and  shall  eat,  and  be  satis- 
fied ;  that  the  Lord  thy  God  may  bless  thee  in  all 
the  work  of  thine  hand  which  thou  doest." 

The  above  is  a  larger  unfolding  of  the  law  than 
in  the  first  passage  quoted  and  makes  it  clear  that 
in  all  probability  there  were  two  separate  tithes 
thus  far  required  by  Moses.  In  fact  the  Talmudists 
accept  without  question  the  existence  of  this  second 
tithe.  ^  The  first  tithe  went  to  the  tabernacle,  and 
in  the  later  days,  to  the  temple,  for  use  there; 
the  second  was  a  festival  tithe  for  use  by  the  whole 
nation ;  and  we  shall  now  see  that  there  was  a 

*  This  is  shown  in  their  very  plain  directions  in  regard  to  it. 


so  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

third  tithe,  devoted  to  other  uses  and  required 
every  third  year.  This  is  clear  from  the  language 
of  Deuteronomy  xiv.  28,  which  reads  thus :  "  At 
the  end  of  the  three  years  thou  shalt  bring  forth 
all  the  tithe  of  thine  increase  the  same  year,  and 
shalt  lay  it  up  within  thy  gates :  and  the  Levite 
(because  he  hath  no  part  nor  inheritance  with  thee), 
and  the  stranger,  and  the  fatherless,  and  the 
widow,  which  are  within  thy  gates,  shall  come,  and 
shall  eat,  and  be  satisfied ;  that  the  Lord  thy  God 
may  bless  thee  in  all  the  work  of  thine  hand  which 
thou  doest." 

Josephus,  in  "  Antiquities,"  Book  lY,  Chapter  8, 
section  8,  bears  witness  to  the  operation  of  these 
laws  as  follows :  "  Let  there  be  taken  out  of  your 
fruits  a  tenth,  hesidea  that  which  you  have  allotted 
to  give  to  the  priests  and  Levites.  This  you  may 
indeed  sell  in  the  country,  but  it  is  to  be  used  in 
those  feasts  and  sacrifices  that  are  to  be  celebrated 
in  the  holy  city,  for  it  is  fit  that  you  should  enjoy 
those  fruits  of  the  earth  which  God  gives  you  to 
possess,  so  as  may  be  to  the  honor  of  the  donor. 

"  Let  those  that  live  as  remote  as  the  bounds  of 
the  land  which  the  Hebrews  shall  possess  come  to 
that  city  where  the  temple  shall  be,  and  this  three 
times  in  a  year,  that  they  may  give  thanks  to  God 
for  His  former  benefits,  and  may  entreat  Him  for 
those  they  shall  want  hereafter ;  and  let  them,  by 
this  means,  maintain  a  friendly  correspondence 
with  one  another  by  such  meetings  and  feastings 
together — ^for  it  is  a  good  thing  for  those  that  are 


THE  TITHING  LAW  STATED  31 

of  the  same  stock,  and  under  the  same  institution 
of  laws,  not  to  be  unacquainted  with  each  other ; 
which  acquaintance  will  be  maintained  bj  thus 
conversing  together,  and  by  seeing  and  talking 
with  one  another,  and  so  renewing  the  memorials 
of  this  union ;  for  if  they  do  not  thus  converse 
together  continually,  they  will  appear  like  mere 
strangers  to  one  another." 

The  above  brief  statements  cover  the  great 
divisions  of  the  Law  of  the  Tithe ;  but  of  course 
we  are  not  to  forget  that  there  were  minutiae  in 
the  working  out  of  each  law,  which  subdivide  the 
more  general  provisions  as  stated  above,  and  these 
particulars  will  be  discussed  in  the  chapter  follow^ 
ing ;  but  meanwhile,  let  us  remember  that  we  have 
now  entered  the  gateways  of  the  Law  of  the 
Tithe,  and  have  passed  the  three  great  golden 
pillars  on  which  rests  the  whole  superstructure  of 
the  Mosaic  economy  which  relates  to  the  support 
of  the  ministry  of  God. 


m 

THE  MATEEIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION 
OF  THE  TITHING  LAW 

THAT  treasure  of  antiquity,  that  source  of 
much  that  is  precious  in  the  lore  of  the 
Bible,  Josephus,  in  the  Fourth  Book  of 
his  "  Antiquities,"  has  this  to  say  in  regard  to  the' 
Levites,  the  priesthood,  and  the  means  provided  for 
their  maintenance  :  "  And  now  Moses,  because  the 
tribe  of  Levi  was  made  free  from  war  and  warlike 
expeditions,  and  was  set  apart  for  the  divine  wor- 
ship, lest  they  should  want  and  seek  after  the 
necessaries  of  life,  and  so  neglect  the  temple,  com- 
manded the  Hebrews,  according  to  the  will  of  God, 
that  when  they  should  gain  the  possession  of  the 
land  of  Canaan,  they  should  assign  forty-eight  good 
and  fair  cities  to  the  Levites  ;  and  permit  them  to 
enjoy  their  suburbs,  as  far  as  the  limit  of  two 
thousand  cubits  would  extend  from  the  walls  of  the 
city.  And  besides  this,  he  appointed  that  the  peo- 
ple should  pay  the  tithe  of  their  annual  fruits  of  the 
earth,  both  to  the  Levites  and  to  the  priests.  And 
this  is  what  that  tribe  receives  of  the  multitude ;  but 
I  think  it  is  necessary  to  set  down  what  is  paid  by 
all,  peculiarly  to  the  priests. 
"Accordingly  he  commanded  the  Levites  to 
32 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      33 

yield  up  to  the  priests  thirteen  of  their  forty-eight 
cities,  and  to  set  apart  for  them  the  tenth  part  of  the 
tithes  which  they  every  year  receive  of  the  people ; 
as  also  that  it  was  just  to  offer  to  God  the  first 
fruits  of  the  entire  product  of  the  ground  ;  and  that 
they  should  offer  the  first  born  of  those  four-footed 
beasts  that  are  appointed  for  sacrifices,  if  it  be  a  male, 
to  the  priests  to  be  slain,  that  they  and  their  entire 
families  may  eat  them  in  the  holy  city ;  but  that  the 
owners  of  those  first  born  which  are  not  appointed 
for  sacrifices  in  the  laws  of  our  country  should 
bring  a  shekel  and  a  half  in  their  stead ;  but  for  the 
first  born  of  a  man,  five  shekels :  that  they  should 
also  have  the  first  fruits  out  of  the  shearing  of  the 
sheep ;  and  that  when  any  baked  bread-corn,  and 
made  loaves  of  it,  they  should  give  somewhat  of 
what  they  had  asked  to  them.  Moreover  when 
they  had  made  a  sacred  vow,  I  mean  those  that  are 
called  ISTazarites,  that  suffer  their  hair  to  grow  long, 
and  use  no  wine,  when  they  consecrate  their  hair 
and  offer  it  for  a  sacrifice,  they  are  to  allot  the  hair 
for  the  priests  (to  be  thrown  into  the  fire).  Such 
also  as  dedicate  themselves  to  God,  as  a  Corban, 
which  denotes  what  the  Greeks  call  a  gift,  when 
they  are  desirous  of  being  freed  from  that  ministra- 
tion, are  to  lay  down  money  for  the  priests ;  thirty 
shekels  if  it  be  a  woman,  and  fifty  if  it  be  a  man  ; 
but  if  any  be  too  poor  to  pay  tne  appointed  sum,  it 
shall  be  lawful  for  the  priests  to  determine  that  sum 
as  they  think  fit.  And  if  any  slay  beasts  at  home 
for  a  private  festival,  but  not  for  a  religious  one, 


34  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

they  are  obliged  to  bring  the  maw  and  the  cheek 
(or  breast)  and  the  right  shoulder  of  the  sacrifice  to 
the  priests.  With  these,  Moses  contrived  that  the 
priests  should  be  plentifully  maintained,  besides 
what  they  had  out  of  those  offerings  for  sins,  which 
the  people  gave  them,  as  I  have  set  down  in  the 
foregoing  book.  He  also  ordered  that,  out  of  every- 
thing allotted  for  the  priests,  their  servants  (their 
sons),  their  daughters,  and  their  wives,  should  par- 
take, as  well  as  themselves,  excepting  what  came  to 
them  out  of  the  sacrifices  that  were  offered  for 
sins  ;  for  of  those  none  but  the  males  of  the  family 
of  the  priests  might  eat,  and  this  in  the  temple  also, 
and  that  the-same  day  they  were  offered."  * 

Tithes  were  taken  from  what  remained  after  of- 
ferings and  first  fruits  were  paid.  First  of  all,  the 
proprietors  of  the  land  sent  one-tenth  to  the 
Levites ;  then  one-tenth  more  to  Jerusalem ;  or  if 
this  city  was  too  remote,  then  the  equivalent  of  the 
tithe  was  paid  in  money,  and  this  was  used  to 
celebrate  the  festivals  in  the  holy  city ;  and  these 
feasts  resembled  the  agapaB  of  the  early  Christians, 
and  the  love-feast  of  some  of  our  modern  Protestant 
churches.  Tobit  says  that  every  three  years  he 
paid  tithes  to  the  strangers  and  proselytes ;  because 
neither  priests  nor  Levites  were  in  the  city  where 
he  dwelt.  Properly  speaking  there  were  only  two 
sorts  of  tithes :  (1)  To  priests  and  Levites.  (2)  The 
tithe  applied  to  feasts  of  charity  at  the  temple  in 
the  metropolis,  or  in  the  cities. 
»  "Antiquities  of  the  Jews,"  Book  IV,  Chap.  4,'sections  3-4. 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      35 

In  the  payment  of  tithes  there  were  offerings  that 
accompanied  them,  such  as : 

Grain,  Fruits, 

Meal,  Wine, 

Bread,  Salt, 

Cakes,  Oil. 

These  things  were  all  common  in  the  temple. 
They  were  sometimes  alone,  and  sometimes  ac- 
companied with  sacrifices.  Honey  was  sometimes 
offered  as  first  fruits.  The  Pharisees  of  our  Lord's 
day  paid  not  only  tithes  of  grain  and  fruits,  but  also 
of  pulse,  herbs,  in  gardens,  which  the  law  did  not 
require. 

NOW  LET  us  GATHER  THE  FACTS  AND  SEE 
WHAT  MOSES  TAUGHT 

1.  The  tithe  of  the  land  and  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  is  the  Lord's.*  Farmer,  horticulturist,  apple 
man  :  This  takes  in  your  cereals,  your  fruits,  that 
is  to  say,  your  wheat,  barley,  rye,  corn,  small  fruits. 
Bursting  granaries,  cribs,  fruit-bins,  etc.,  are  full 
of  the  Lord's  unpaid  portion. 

2.  If  a  tithe  was  redeemed,  one-fifth  had  to  be 
added  to  the  value,^  to  make  up  the  redemption 
price.  What  a  largess  of  redemption  money  would 
be  required  of  the  American  nation  to  make  things 
right  with  God,  not  only  for  the  robberies  of  recent 
years,  but  of  all  the  unrighteous  withholding  since 

*  liev,  xxvii.  30,  »  Lev.  xxvii.  31, 


36  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  Mayflower  keel  ground  upon  New  England 
shores. 

3.  The  tithe  of  the  herd  or  flock  passing  under 
the  rod  is  holy  unto '  the  Lord.  *'  Pass  under,  pass 
under  the  rod."  Ah,  here  in  the  notion  of  a  thing 
"  devoted  "  is  the  origin  of  that  well-known  h3nnn. 

4.  If  one  juggled  his  tithe,  substituting  good  for 
bad  or  bad  for  good  passing  under  the  rod,  both 
were  confiscate.^ 

6.  Tithes  as  heave  offerings  were  given  to  the 
Levites  ^  who  tithed  to  the  priests. 

6.  The  tithed  tithe  was  to  be  tithed  again  by 
the  priests,  and  this  portion  given  to  the  high 
priest.'' 

7.  The  tithe  had  to  be  brought  to  the  tabernacle 
during  the  existence  of  that  institution,  or  to 
Jerusalem  as  in  the  days  of  the  settled  occupance 
of  that  city  by  the  Hebrews,^  the  idea  being  to 
have  a  great,  central  rallying  point. 

8.  One  could  not  eat  at  home  the  festival  tithe 
of  corn,  wine,  oil,  firstlings  of  flocks  or  herds,  things 
vowed,  free  will  offerings,  heave  offerings,  etc.,  but 
these  had  to  be  eaten  at  the  grand  central  place  of 
meeting  and  by  the  ones  appointed  to  consume 
them,  during  the  time  of  national  assembly  and 
worship.^ 

9.  If  the  distance  was  too  great  for  the  trans- 
portation of  offerings  and  the  driving  of  cattle, 

*  Lev.  xxvii.  32.  '  Lev.  xxvii.  33. 

'  Num.  xviii.  24.  *  Nnm.  xviii.  28. 

»  Pent.  xii.  6,  •  Pent.  xii.  17-18, 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      37 

both  produce  and  cattle  were  to  be  turned  into 
money  and  the  money  spent  in  feasting  and  rejoic- 
ing after  arrival  at  Jerusalem.' 

10.  The  object  of  this  assembling  and  rejoicing 
was  to  teach  men  the  love  of  God  and  the  brother- 
hood of  man.*  As  noticed  above  in  the  passage 
quoted  from  Josephus,  these  assemblies  were  to  pre- 
vent the  Israelites  from  growing  apart,  and  from 
getting  out  of  sympathy  with  each  other ;  and  that 
the  result  should  fall  out  that  they  should  be  bound 
together  by  cords  of  sympathy  and  love. 

11.  Every  third  year,  the  whole  tithe  was  to  be 
laid  up  within  the  gates  for  the  use  of  Levites, 
strangers,  fatherless,  Avidows.^  This  was  probably 
the  third  tithe,  which  was  paid  every  third  and 
sixth  year  in  every  cycle  of  seven,^  and  the  second 
tithe  was  paid  each  first,  second,  fourth  and  fifth 
year,  in  the  same  cycle.  This  was  necessary,  be- 
cause every  seventh  was  a  Sabbatic  year,  in  which 
there  was  no  traffic  of  any  kind,  and  no  raising  of 
crops. 

12.  It  is  expressly  declared  that  the  faithful 
performance  of  one's  full  duty  in  reference  to  the 
tithe  was  in  order  to  bring  down  the  blessing  of 
God  on  the  land,  and  to  ensure  the  success  of  the 
labor  of  one's  hands.*^ 

13.  And  mark  this  well:  In  the  third  year  of 
the  cycle,  after  all  the  tithes  have  been  faithfully 
paid,  and  solemn  declaration  has  been  made  of  the 

»  Dent.  xiv.  25.  'Deut.  xiv.  23.  '  Deut.  xiv.  29. 

*  "  Jewish  Encyclopsedia,"  Art.  "Tithes."    *  Deut.  xiv.  29. 


38  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

fact,  and  the  Levite,  the  stranger,  the  fatherless, 
the  widow  have  had  their  full  portion,  then,  and 
only  then,  could  the  devout  Israelite  dare  to  ask 
the  blessing  of  God  on  the  land  and  upon  his  per- 
sonal labors.' 

SIGNIFICANCE  OF  THESE  TEACHINGS  REGARDING 
THE  TITHE 

"  The  tithe  is  the  Lord's."  This  is  the  founda- 
tion principle.  "  The  tithe  of  the  land."  Farmer, 
this  takes  in  your  wheat,  barley,  rye,  flax,  sugar 
beets,  pumpkins,  squashes,  watermelons,  canta- 
loupes, and  so  on,  through  all  the  well-nigh  in- 
finite variety  scattered  through  the  different  arable 
regions  of  the  country.  Out  of  the  millions  of 
bushels  of  wheat  and  corn  which  are  in  the  store- 
houses of  our  country  to-day,  how  many  millions 
there  are  that  have  never  paid  the  tithe  and  are 
therefore  like  smuggled  goods ;  monuments  of 
greed,  and  of  the  willful  and  neglectful  robbery  of 
God,  through  unbelief.  "  The  fruit  of  the  tree  is 
the  Lord's,"  "  holy  unto  Him."  This  takes  in  the 
cherries,  peaches,  apricots,  plums,  apples,  quinces, 
etc.,  that  load  down  the  American  markets  with 
full  crates,  nearly  every  one  of  them  containing 
stolen  goods,  tithes  that  are  "  holy  unto  the  Lord," 
and  have  never  been,  nor  when  in  the  market  under 
such  circumstances  will  they  ever  be,  paid  unto 
Him,  because  consumed  or  about  to  be  consumed 
by  human  beings  not  authorized  to  partake  of  them. 
1  Dent.  xxvi.  12-15. 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      39 

They  are  unredeemed  tithes,  and  could  not,  under 
the  Hebrew  law,  be  retained  for  the  gains  of  the 
open  market,  without  adding  twenty  per  cent,  to 
their  value,  as  making  up  a  full  redemption  price. 
But  remember ;  One-fifth,  or  twenty  per  cent,  of 
ten  per  cent,  is  only  two  per  cent. ;  so  that  in  the 
case  of  redeemed  tithes,  the  Lord  only  required 
twelve  per  cent,  instead  of  ten ;  the  reason  being, 
that  if  the  ancient  tithes  were  sent  to  the  tem- 
ple, they  could  be  sold  again  for  gain  by  the  ones 
receiving  them  there.  The  miserable  moiety,  the 
niggardly  dole  which  the  whole  Protestant  world 
pays  to  missions,  would  be  doubled,  redoubled  and 
multiplied  to  greater  than  a  thousandfold,  if  only 
Protestantism  would  pay  its  tithes  rigorously,  hon- 
estly, systematically,  and  fearlessly;  for  it  takes 
courage  to  face  down  the  mighty  greeds  of  the  past. 
"  The  tithe  of  the  herd."  Take  the  exports  and 
shipments  of  beef  cattle,  take  the  valuation  of  the 
shipments,  the  number  of  head  in  the  shipments, 
and  divide  the  head  by  ten,  and  multiply  the  quo- 
tient by  the  average  value  per  head,  and  you  will 
approximate  the  annual  robbery,  in  America,  of 
the  treasuries  of  God.  As  an  illustration,  take 
the  valuation  of  live  stock  for  the  entire  United 
States,  from  the  volume  of  Census  Reports  entitled 
"  Wealth,  Debt  and  Taxation,"  p.  27,  and  this  is 
what  we  find : 

Live  stock  for  the  year  1904, 

valuation $4,073,791,736.00 

The  tithe 407,379,173.60 


4:0  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

With  this  many  millions  at  command,  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  world  might  be  accomplished  in 
ten  .years,  with  only  the  revenue  from  the  tithe  of 
America's  beef  cattle  to  pay  the  bills.  If  the 
millions  now  stolen  from  God  were  conscientiously 
paid  to  Him  each  year,  there  would  be  carried  on 
in  the  world  sorely  in  need  of  the  Gospel,  and  in 
quarters  where  it  is  as  yet  unheard,  the  most  stu- 
pendous religious  campaign  in  all  the  history  of  the 
ages  ;  and  now  that  the  governments  of  the  world 
are  getting  ready  to  disarm,  and  to  arbitrate,  would 
it  be  too  much  to  hope  that  some  time  in  the  distant 
future  they  will  be  sending  out  peace  flags  and 
peace  ships  full  of  the  men  and  the  money  and  the 
Bibles  that  will  gospelize  the  whole  globe  in  less 
than  a  generation  ?  In  fact,  if  all  the  depredations 
that  are  now  being  shamelessly  committed  on  the 
treasuries  of  heaven,  if  this  modern  robbery  of 
temples  were  stopped,  there  would  not  be  a  mis- 
sionary bishop,  nor  a  field  secretary  of  any  society 
soever,  nor  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  anywhere,  who 
would  be  compelled  to  beg,  often  in  humiliation, 
for  the  money  theirs  by  right,  or  their  society's  by 
right ;  and  they  would  be  so  well  supported  that 
they  would  not  be  falling  out  of  the  ranks,  as  manjr 
of  them  do  now,  broken  in  body  and  in  brain  be- 
cause of  needless  and  harassing  anxiety  about 
money.  It  is  the  cupidity  and  greed  of  the  Church, 
and  not  old  age  that  is  superannuating  annually 
thousands  of  brilliant  men,  men  who,  in  other  lines 
pf  business,  could  have  made  princely  fortunes  bj 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      ^1 

a  few  strokes  of  their  pens  or  a  few  manipulations 
of  money  in  a  legitimate  market.  The  stingy 
policy,  which  makes  it  impossible  for  the  average 
minister  to  replenish  his  library  to  the  extent  of 
one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  new  and  fresh  books 
every  year,  compels  him  early  in  life  to  become 
intellectually  a  waning  star,  and  to  "  pass  the  dead 
line  at  fifty."  There  would  be  no  dead  line  in  the 
ministry  if  that  ministry  were  supported,  as  God 
meant  it  should  be,  by  the  only  financial  system 
He  has  ever  given  to  His  Church.  The  miserable 
pittance  offered  to  the  average  minister  by  a 
wealthy  church  insults  and  degrades  his  manhood, 
and  our  young  men  do  perfectly  right  in  these  days 
who  shut  their  ears  to  such  offers. 

"The  tithe  of  the  flock."  That  takes  in  the 
sheep.  Every  one  of  them  on  the  world's  broad 
acres  ought  to  pass  under  the  rod  and  every  tenth 
one  ought  to  be  devoted  to  God.  Every  tenth  pig 
in  the  world  ought  to  follow  ;  for  if  the  tithe  is 
"  holy  unto  the  Lord,"  every  tenth  sheep,  every 
tenth  bullock,  every  tenth  pig,  every  tenth  colt, 
is  "  holy  unto  the  Lord."  The  fact  that  the  prices 
of  these  animals,  devoted  by  the  sacred  law,  is 
going  to  selfish  and  secular  uses,  emphasizes  the 
enormity  of  the  robbery  of  God  that  is  constantly 
going  on. 

JUGGLING  THE    TITHE 

That  was  an  evil  practice  among  the  Jews  that 
is  severely  rebuked  in  the  law;  and  it  is  still  a 


43  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

common  practice  among  Gentiles.  Our  Presby- 
terian brother  at  one  of  the  assemblies  recently 
held  in  southwestern  Iowa,  which  met  in  session 
at  Council  Bluffs,  said  that  nearly  all  of  the 
preachers  run  loan  offices  and  loan  to  their  laymen, 
because  the  preachers  charge  no  interest,  and  the 
banks  charge  six  and  eight  per  cent.  It  is  true  in 
many  cases  that  when  a  layman  finds  himself  in  a 
close  corner,  and  mentally  runs  over  the  places 
where  a  "  save "  can  be  had,  he  very  early  thinks 
of  his  Church  as  an  institution  from  which  his 
support  is  or  can  be  held  back,  thus  forcing  the 
minister  in  the  case  to  make  his  lay  member  a 
loan  without  interest.  This  practice  is  going  on, 
mainly  for  the  reason  that  a  minister  of  God  is 
looked  upon  in  some,  if  not  in  many  quarters,  as  an 
easily  plundered  and  generally  unprotesting  in- 
dividual. 

The  effort  that  is  now  being  made,  by  those 
who  are  awake  on  this  question,  to  organize  the 
preachers,  so  as  to  prevent  any  impositions  of  this 
kind  and  the  injustice  and  hardship  resulting,  is 
commendable,  and  to  say,  "  E"one  of  us  shall  serve 
unless  he  gets  a  living  salary,"  is  right ;  and  an 
other  plank  needs  to  be  added  to  this  platform, 
namely,  "  ]N"one  of  the  charges  which  habitually 
treat  their  ministers  with  criminal  financial  neglect 
shall  have  pastors ;  and  said  pastors  will  continue 
to  be  withheld  until  said  churches  *  awake  to  right- 
eousness and  sin  not'  along  these  lines."  The  con- 
gregation which  habitually  neglects  the  financial 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      43 

claims  of  a  worthy  man  and  his  needy  family,  when 
able  to  do  better,  deserves  no  better  fate  than  I 
have  suggested.  This  is  the  platform  on  which 
the  Gospel  ought  to  be  allowed  to  stand  or  fall. 
The  Church  is  able  to  »pay  its  way.  It  is  not  in- 
tended that  the  Church  shall  be  a  big  sponge,  nor 
is  it  to  be  served  by  a  band  of  barefoot  friars, 
saying,  "  Pax  vobiscum.  In  the  Name  of  Mary 
the  Mother  of  God,  give  us  an  alms."  The  Gospel 
deserves  the  abundant,  overflowing,  divinely  legal, 
cornucopia  sort  of  support,  which  is  laid  down  and 
demanded  of  the  people  of  God  in  "  His  Financial 
Plan,"  as  will  be  fully  pointed  out  in  the  next 
chapter.  We  need  to  be  forever  done  with  the 
trickery  which  thinks  that  if  it  owes  a  church  it 
owes  nothing.  The  criticism  made  by  business 
men,  too  often  with  too  much  truth  in  the  remark, 
is  that  the  Church  is  without  honor  in  paying  its 
bills ;  and  if  the  Church  in  some  communities  be 
without  honor,  it  is  equivalent  to  a  plain  declara- 
tion of  financial,  moral  and  spiritual  bankruptcy. 
Such  churches  cannot  have,  nor  need  they  expect  to 
have,  revivals.  To  add  members  to  such  a  church 
is  to  spread  brigandage  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

We  also  need  to  be  done  with  that  other  piece 
of  charlatanism  invented  by  the  devil,  which  refuses 
to  apply  common-sense  business  methods  to  the 
affairs  of  the  Church,  as  though  material  interests 
were  up  in  the  clouds  instead  of  here  on  the  earth. 
Aspiration  may  "  hitch  its  wagon  to  a  star,"  but  let 
us  remember  that  while  the  motive  power  to  pull 


44  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

may  be  in  the  stars,  or  above  the  stars,  nevertheless 
the  wheels  cut  tracks  in  plain,  every-day  dirt.  It  is 
a  fact  that  if  grocery  establishments  or  banks  were 
run  as  some  churches  run  their  business,  said 
groceries  and  banks  would  break  up  in  less  than  six 
months.  We  need  to  get  over  the  idea  that  there 
is  a  necessary  connection  between  religion  and 
slackness  ;  and  that  a  pastor's  consecration  can  only 
be  complete  or  can  take  place  when  he  has  ceased 
to  watch  the  collection  basket.  "When  he  has  done 
that,  and  also  has  ceased  to  inquire  into  the  giving 
or  the  non-giving  of  every  member  of  his  flock,  he 
has  ceased  to  be  a  sensible  man  of  business  and  is 
courting  bankruptcy  for  himself  and  for  his  church. 
One  of  the  great  reasons  for  disgust  that  sensible 
laymen  feel  for  the  Church  is  this  very  laxness  of 
the  management  of  church  affairs,  a  laxness  which 
they  know  to  be  wrong  in  principle,  and  in  such 
painful  contrast  with  their  own  methods  that  they 
feel  ashamed  every  time  their  eyes  are  turned  that 
way.  God  meant,  in  giving  His  tithing  system  to 
the  Church,  that  religious  things  should  be  managed 
systematically,  decently,  and  in  order.  Paul  means 
just  that  or  he  means  nothing  ;  and  when  God  gave 
the  Church  of  the  Theocracy  (Democracy)  a  tithing 
law.  He  provided  the  hest  system  of  church  finance 
that  has  heen  d&vised  in  the  whole  history  of  man. 
Spell  it  all  the  way  through  with  big  letters  if  you 
want  to  ;  they  would  not  begin  to  be  as  big  as  the 
truth  they  express. 
Ministerial    support.     Study   it  under  the  old 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      45 

Hebrew  law  if  you  please.  The  primary  and  funda- 
mental support  of  all  the  ministry  of  Judea  was 
on  one-tenth  of  all  the  land,  flock  and  tree  produc- 
tions of  Palestine ;  the  tithe  of  this  tithe  went  to 
the  priests  ;  and  the  tithe  of  the  tithe  of  the  tithe, 
or  the  one-thousandth  part  of  such  income,  went  to 
the  high  priest  for  his  support.  If  all  of  Protestant- 
ism were  under  one  archbishop,  his  income  would 
be  the  thousandth  part  of  the  tithe  of  all  Protes- 
tantism's income.  Taking  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  as  an  illustration,  the  income  of  its  member- 
ship has  been  estimated  at  five  hundred  millions ; 
and  the  thousandth  part  of  this  would  be  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars;  which  would  be  his 
support  if  put  on  a  parity  with  the  ancient  Jewish 
high  priest.  Take  all  the  bishops  of  Protestantism 
to-day,  and  it  can  be  seen  how  far  even  their  sup- 
port falls  short  of  the  Mosaic  standard ;  although 
they  are  for  the  most  part  fairly  well  supported. 
In  the  denomination  noted  above,  it  has  been  as- 
certained that  for  all  financial  undertakings,  includ- 
ing ministerial  support  and  the  benevolences,  it  is 
Contributing  annually  twenty-five  million  dollars, 
or  five  per  cent,  of  its  income,  which  is  just  one- 
half  of  its  tithe  ;  and  the  constant  appeal  heard  for 
money,  from  the  leaders  in  that  Church,  which  is 
as  well  supported  as  the  best  of  the  others,  is  the 
answer  to  the  statement  we  have  made,  which  is 
that  one-half  of  this  great  Church's  tithe  is,  for  the 
present,  withheld. 
As  we  look  at  all  the  facts  in  our  survey  of  Prot- 


46  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

testantism,  we  are  inevitably  led  to  the  conclusion 
that  her  ministry  receive  about  half  the  salary 
they  should.  How  shall  the  man  on  starvation 
wages  be  helped  ?  If  his  salary,  say,  is  five  hundred 
dollars  a  year,  then  let  him  have  a  supplement  of 
another  five  hundred  dollars  gathered  or  drawn 
from  the  tithe  of  the  whole  Church  of  which  he  is 
a  part.  Let  us  come  to  the  divine  order,  which  is 
Priestly  Support  in  Flenteousness.  On  the  Levitical 
basis,  every  minister  to-day  would  tithe  his  income, 
and  if  he  have  bishops,  the  tithe  thus  created 
would  support  them ;  and  if  the  analogy  were 
carried  out  to  its  logical  outcome,  and  if  there 
were  recognized  among  this  body  of  bishops  a 
senior  bishop,  then  his  support  would  be  made 
up  from  the  tithes  of  the  incomes  of  his  episcopal 
colleagues.  This  would  be  a  much  more  practi- 
cable scheme  for  the  support  of  bishops  than  some 
that  have  been  proposed. 

The  tremendous  import  of  the  Law  of  the  Tithe 
comes  out  again  in  its  social  application  as  that 
obtained  under  the  Mosaic  economy.  This  is  a 
side  of  the  tithing  law  which  is  almost  unnoticed 
by  all  writers  who  have  attempted  the  setting  forth 
of  the  divine  scheme.  That  is  to  say  the  second 
tithe,  or  feast-tithe,  could  not,  as  we  have  seen 
above,  be  spent  at  home,  but  had  to  be  brought  to  a 
central  place  of  which  the  tabernacle  at  first  was  the 
centre,  and  later  on  the  metropolis  itself,  Jerusalem, 
"  beautiful  for  situation,"  ^  became  the  central  rally- 

'  Psalm  xlviii.  2. 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      4:1 

ing  point.  The  conditions  which  made  the  tab- 
ernacle a  movable  institution,  peregrinating  with 
the  Israelites,  gave  way  at  last  to  fixed  conditions, 
when  the  nomad  life  of  the  Jews  was  done  away, 
and  they  had  settled  down  into  the  comfortable 
seats  of  their  inheritance.  The  administration  of 
the  tithe  was  in  priestly  hands,  and  was  carried  on 
within  the  temple  precincts.  It  was  the  business 
of  the  people  to  bring,  and  the  business  of  the 
priests  to  divide,  the  tithes  ;  and  they  were  rendered 
every  assistance  in  the  disbursement  by  the  Levites 
themselves,  who  were  always  looked  upon  as  a 
lower  order  of  priests ;  in  fact  the  whole  priesthood 
was  accounted  Levitical,  with  gradations  of  rank 
up  to  the  high  priest. 

It  is  apparent,  therefore,  that  the  tabernacle 
and  later  on  the  temple  became  great  disbursing, 
banking,  food-supplying  institutions,  whose  business 
it  was  to  feed  the  poor,  distribute  alms,  and  look 
after  the  general  charitable  business  of  the  whole 
nation.  We  follow  the  analogy  somewhat  in  taking 
our  benevolent  moneys  to  church,  turning  them 
over  to  the  shepherds  of  the  flock,  in  carrying  them 
to  sessions  and  synods  and  conferences  and  assem- 
blies as  we  do,  putting  them  into  the  hands  of  a 
treasurer,  who  disburses  them,  both  here  and  be- 
yond the  seas,  through  the  higher  general  office  to 
which  he  is  responsible.  This  centralization  enabled 
the  priesthood  of  Israel  to  inculcate  among  the 
people,  in  a  tremendous  way,  the  necessity  and  the 
blessing  of  giving.     In  fact,  we  have  strong  reason 


48  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

for  believing  that  the  lesser  Levites,  scattered 
through  the  forty-eight  cities  which  they  owned, 
were  in  the  habit  of  forming  schools  of  instruction 
for  the  people  ;  and  these  schools  became  seminaries 
of  instruction  in  giving  and  in  righteousness ;  the 
Levites  always  insisting  that  "the  tithe  is  the 
Lord's,"  a  sacred,  holy,  devoted  thing,  not  to  be 
meddled  with  for  any  selfish,  secular  purpose  what- 
soever. "  It  was  also  a  provision  in  the  law,"  says 
Geikie,  "  that  there  should  be  no  poor  in  the  nation ; " 
and  Moses  set  forth  in  his  law  a  science  of  political 
economy,  which  should  attend  to  taxation,  forbid 
the  taking  of  interest  on  loans,,  and  relieve  all  dis- 
tress out  of  the  joyfully  given,  the  shoutingly  given, 
tithes. 

It  was  doubtless  designed  of  the  Lord  that  this 
colossal  system  of  henevoUnce  should  first  of  all  he 
established  on  a  granite  foundation  in  the  Holy 
Land,  and  then^  because  of  the  abundant  resources 
provided  by  the  tithing  system^  commence  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  whole  world  with  the  good  news  of 
a  Messiah  to  come.  If  the  Jews  had  been  loyal  to 
this  message,  just  that  very  result  would  have  fol- 
lowed. They  had  a  theocracy  (democracy) — a  de- 
mocracy backed  up  by  the  Word  of  God,  they  had 
the  great  campaign  idea  of  the  unity  of  God,  which, 
once  grasped,  leads  to  that  other  idea,  the  unity  of 
the  race ;  believing  in  one  God  as  opposed  to  many 
gods ;  and  in  their  campaign  with  the  Presence 
before  them  and  the  Scriptures  in  them,  with  the 
divine  Spirit  invigorating  and  making  powerful  the 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      49 

Word,  so  that  in  the  hand  of  that  Spirit  it  became 
a  sword ;  and  with  a  financial  system  to  provide  the 
sinews  of  war  that  nothing  could  break  down,  the 
Jews,  with  all  their  talent  for  organization,  their 
swiftness  to  acquire  new  tongues,  their  enthusiasm 
that  nothing  daunts  even  yet,  could  have  started  on 
their  victorious  march  for  the  spiritual  conquest  of 
the  whole  world.  They  had  the  slogan  of  their 
race,  "  In  Abraham  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
be  blessed." 

But  alas  for  the  defection  of  Israeli  Alas  for 
their  awful  blindness  !  This  magnificent  program 
of  world-conquest  was  spoiled  by  idolatry  and  by 
covetousness ;  and  the  spoiling  is  still  going  on; 
but  thank  God  the  Church  of  the  living  Christ  is 
waking  from  her  defection ;  and  Jew  and  Gentile 
together  are  now  pressing  back  to  the  oracles  of 
God.  Woe  to  Protestantism;  woe  to  the  Greek 
Church,  woe  to  the  Church  of  Eome,  if  any  or  all 
of  them  fail  to  provide  even  now,  ages  after  it  was 
meant  to  be  accomplished,  the  money  that  is  the 
sinews  of  war  to  God,  to  carry  on  this  program 
of  world-conquest  in  world  evangelization.  Better 
than  "  a  cycle  of  Cathay,"  better  than  "  a  hundred 
years  of  Europe,"  better  than  an  indemnity-bought 
group  of  Philippines,  better  than  the  carving  out 
of  "  spheres  of  influence  in  China,"  better  than  the 
conquest  of  the  Antilles,  better  than  the  awakening 
of  China  from  her  age-long  sleep,  better  than  the 
political  awakening  of  the  whole  world  and  the  dis- 
armament so  long  contemplated  and  accomplished 


50  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

with  the  dilatoriness  of  suspicion ;  better  far  than 
all  of  this  will  be  the  awakening  of  the  Church 
herself,  putting  on  her  beautiful  garments  of  right- 
eousness, and  putting  her  hand,  fairer  than  the  be- 
jewelled hand  of  an  empress,  into  the  purse  she  has 
been  filling  for  ages,  forgetting  always  before  that 
the  hand  must  be  withdrawn  again,  and  withdrawn 
many  times,  and  each  withdrawal  bringing  forth  a 
handful  of  gifts  until  God  "  opens  the  windows  of 
heaven  and  pours  her  out  a  blessing  such  as  there 
shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive " ;  for  the 
Church  from  Christ  till  now  has  never  given  freely 
enough  to  claim  the  fullness  of  the  promises  of  God ; 
but  when  the  day  of  fully  opened  treasuries  comes, 
which  means  the  day  of  fully  opened  heavenly 
windows,  the  Church,  transfigured  and  over- 
whelmed with  the  glory  she  shall  receive,  will 
pray,  "  O  God,  stay  Thy  hand." 

HOW  TITHING  WAS   IlSf TENDED   TO   BRING  OUT 
THE   BROTHEEHOOD   OF  MAN 

The  observations  of  Josephus,  which  the  reader 
will  now  be  able  to  review  more  appreciatively, 
standing  as  they  do  at  the  head  of  this  chapter, 
need  more  elaboration  in  order  to  set  forth  in  clear 
light  the  full  force  of  what  he  says  and  what  the 
Scripture  implies.  Under  the  provisions  of  the 
Hebrew  law,  we  have  seen  that  the  worshipper 
could  not  in  his  own  home  consume  the  feast- 
tithe;  for  it  was  understood  fundamentally  and 
primarily  that  every  one  paying  the  feast  tithe 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      61 

must  go  to  Jerusalem  to  share  it  with  the  others. 
This  was,  as  we  have  seen,  to  establish  bonds  of 
acquaintanceship  and  kindliness  and  brotherhood 
among  the  children  of  Abraham.  Josephus  says 
that  any  other  practice  would  have  permitted  them 
to  grow  apart;  and  the  social  life  of  the  nation 
therefore  was  conserved  by  the  tithing  law  in  a 
wonderful  and  striking  way. 

The  law  served  as  a  corrector  of  enmities  and 
jealousies  and  petty  spites,  and  cured  the  disease 
of  unfriendliness,  caused  often  by  lack  of  acquaint- 
ance ;  for  acquaintanceship  tears  away  the  shroud 
from  a  dying  brotherly  spirit,  makes  it  live  and 
move  and  have  its  being.  There  were  never 
meant  to  be  any  social  wallflowers  among  the 
Hebrews.  Even  the  captives  from  the  wars,  and 
the  slaves  brought  in  or  purchased  by  the  Jews, 
might  become  proselytes  of  the  faith ;  and  indeed, 
every  three  years,  did  share  in  the  social  and  friendly 
joys  of  the  Tithing  Feast.  We  can  only  imagine 
what  rare  friendships  were  contracted,  with  such 
opportunities  as  were  furnished  by  the  pilgrimages 
to  Jerusalem.  Communion,  lexically,  the  "  sharing 
of  another's  bread,"  national  communion,  received 
from  the  feast-custom,  for  which  the  feast-tithe 
provided,  a  tremendous  impetus.  The  great  gather- 
ings at  Jerusalem  taught,  as  nothing  else  has  ever 
done  in  the  memory  of  man,  the  common  brother- 
hood of  humanity  and  the  humanity  of  brother- 
hood; and  the  holy  sacrament,  instituted  by  our 
Saviour,  grew  out  of,  and  was  fully  explained  by, 


62  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  great  Jerusalem  feast.  The  love-feasts  or 
agapae,  instituted  by  the  apostles  for  the  early 
Christians,  were  simply  the  tithe-feast  at  Jerusa- 
lem, modified  for  transportation  over  the  whole 
world.  Woe  worth  the  day  which  witnessed  in 
many  places  the  dying  out  of  these  old  love-feasts. 
Every  third  year  the  tithe  was  to  be  used  in  ex- 
tending the  feast,  not  only  to  Hebrews  but  also  to 
the  widows  and  orphans,  to  the  strangers,  and  to 
the  needy ;  and  this  third  tithe,  as  indicated,  a  feast- 
tithe  also,  was  laid  up  in  the  Levitical  cities  through- 
out Canaan.  Some  have  disputed  the  necessity  and 
the  existence  of  this  third  tithe,  but  a  little  reflec- 
tion will  show  its  reasonableness  and  its  absolute 
necessity.  The  second,  or  Hebrew  feast-tithe,  was 
all  absorbed  in  providing  for  the  annual  national 
festivals  at  Jerusalem ;  and  if  it  sufficed  only  for 
that,  how  could  it  be  expected  that  it  would  supply 
also  all  the  multitude  of  widows  and  distressed  and 
orphaned  and  strange  people  in  the  Holy  Land, 
who  were  a  constantly  increasing  multitude.  An- 
other and  third  levy  was  plainly  unavoidable ;  and 
Josephus  says  it  was  levied  every  third  year,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  other  two  tithes  which  were  consumed 
in  the  manner  we  have  seen  above.  Thus  we  s#e 
how  reluctant  men  have  been,  and  still  are,  to  be- 
lieve in  the  kind  of  generosity  God  expects  of  His 
children. 

Think  of  all  that  these  things  mean,  ye  tired 
business  men,  ye  weary  mothers  with  sick  babies 
that  might  be  cured  with  an  outing.    Not  only 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      53 

was  there  the  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem,  kept  up 
from  year  to  year,  but  every  third  year  there  was 
a  national  romping  time,  a  season  of  jollity,  to 
be  spent,  not  in  hard  toil  and  in  getting  money 
and  buying  houses  and  lands,  but  in  feasting,  merry- 
making, visiting  and  rejoicing.  This  happy  privi- 
lege was  to  extend  to  every  nook  and  corner  of 
Palestine,  and  was  to  reach,  absolutely,  every  one 
within  the  confines  of  the  Holy  Land.  JSTone  might 
hide  from  it,  none  might  be  denied  it.  TVhat  an 
undoing  of  heavy  burdens,  what  an  unbending  of 
backs  growing  bent  with  heavy  labor,  what  a  check- 
ing of  rapacity.  To  no  other  people  as  to  the  Jews 
was  a  way  provided  to  break  the  chains  of  business 
and  taste  the  pure  joys  of  an  annual  vacation.  Each 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  a  camp-meeting  with  relig- 
ious exercises,  and  every  third  year  came  such  a 
Chautauqua  and  outing  as  reached  everybody,  even 
the  toiling  slaves.  If  captives  ever  prayed  for  con- 
tinuance of  slavery  in  olden  time  I  think  it  must  have 
been  that  they  prayed  to  be  taken  as  captives  to 
Palestine  to  enjoy  some  of  the  good  times  there. 
Avaunt,  ye  people  who  say  that  God  takes  away  all 
the  pleasures  of  life  when  He  removes  our  sins.  Sin 
is  all  that  He  takes  away.  Upon  no  page  of  history 
anywhere  is  it  written  that  any  nation  had  such 
gigantic  diversion  provided  for  it  as  God  contrived 
for  His  people  under  the  Hebrew  law.  The  twenti- 
eth century  was  anticipated  and  was  outrun  ;  and 
regulations  were  made  three  thousand  years  ago  that 
were  much  in  advance  of  the  times,  and  matched 


54:  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

up  with  our  own  age  and  actually  outclass  it.  "We 
shall  have  to  run  far  to  catch  up  with  it, — into 
century  twenty-two,  I  am  afraid.  Thomas  More 
did  not  dream  half  so  successfully  about  a  wonder- 
ful new  "  Utopia  "  as  did  Moses ;  and  the  difference 
is,  that  Moses  lived  on  the  edge  of  the  fulfillment 
of  his  dream:  and  the  memory  of  Thomas  More 
still  waits  for  the  realization  in  full  of  his  dream  of 
England  as  a  political  and  social  Paradise.  Jerusa- 
lem the  Holy  was  to  the  Jew  his  Geneva  Lake, 
his  Atlantic  City  with  that  city's  wickedness  left 
out,  his  Ocean  Grove,  his  Bay  Yiew,  his  Lake 
Chautauqua ;  and  if  he  desired  to  taste  the  breezes 
of  the  ocean  they  were  always  within  hail ;  and  if 
he  wished  to  see  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lakes  in 
all  the  world,  he  only  had  to  take  a  little  journey 
from  Jerusalem  to  "  Galilee,  sweet  Galilee,"  to 
realize  all  his  longing  to  come  in  touch  with  the 
bosom  of  Lake  Gennesaret.  What  would  have 
grown  up  at  Jerusalem  under  the  operation  of  this 
law,  continued  until  now,  only  a  kind  heavenly 
Father  knows. 

What  if  the  third  year  tithe  were  an  institution 
of  the  Church  to-day  throughout  the  world  ;  what 
if  every  widowed  one,  every  orphan,  every  stranger, 
were  sought  out  periodically  after  the  manner  of 
the  ancient  Jews,  and  the  world-tithe  of  the 
Church  used  in  relieving  the  distresses  of  them  all  ? 
Such  a  shout  would  come  from  heaven  and  earth 
together  that  the  noise  of  the  rejoicing  from  the 
skies  might  commingle  itself  with  that  here  below. 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      55 

My  Lord  delayeth  His  coming  because  the  tithes 
have  not  been  brought  in.  There  were  in  those 
ancient  days  no  wailing  notes,  no  minor  strains  in 
the  praises  heard  at  Jerusalem  and  throughout 
Canaan.  It  was  to  be  a  symphony  of  rejoicing  to 
Avhich  there  should  be  none  to  contribute  the  sound 
of  weeping  to  mar  the  strains.  It  was  meant  to  be 
a  sweet,  full,  rich  free  tide  of  rejoicing,  a  proclama- 
tion of  liberty  to  the  captives  ;  and  no  footsteps  of 
oppression  were  to  echo  along  the  corridors  of  the 
temple  of  God,  which  temple  all  the  land  be- 
came. 

HOW  THE  TITHE  WAS  INTENDED  TO  DESTROY 
HYPOCRISY  AND  TO  DOWN  COVETOUSNESS 

It  is  expressly  declared  in  the  Scripture  law  of 
giving  that  the  faithful  performance  of  all  the  duty 
connected  with  the  tithe  had  for  its  ultimate  aim 
the  calling  down  upon  the  land  of  the  blessing  of 
God ;  and  that  blessing  is  promised  in  the  same 
connection  on  the  labor  of  the  faithful  tither's 
hands.  Here  we  moderns  will  find  the  secret  of 
many  of  our  failures.  We  have  not  taken  God  into 
partnership  with  us,  as  did  the  faithful  Jew.  Man 
of  business,  heavy  of  heart,  with  failures  behind 
you  and  threatened  failures  in  front  of  you,  ha/ve 
youjpaid  God  His  tithe  f  "  The  tithe  is  the  Lord's. 
It  is  holy  unto  the  Lord."  Perhaps  your  robbery 
of  this  sacred  fund,  if  you  have  robbed  it,  is  the 
cause  of  your  present  lack  of  success  in  business.  If 
the  Jew  had  no  right  to  expect  the  favor  of  God 


56  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

on  the  planning  of  his  brain,  and  the  effort  of  his 
hands,  how  can  you  ?  It  was  provided  in  the  law 
that  at  the  end  of  each  third  year  the  Jew  should 
sit  down  to  self-examination  and  ask  himself  whether 
all  his  tithes  had  been  duly  and  truly  and  con- 
scientiously paid ;  and  if  he  could  say,  "  Yes,"  and 
only  when  he  could  say,  "  Yes,"  could  he  dare  to 
go  into  devout  prayer  to  God  for  His  blessing  on  the 
land.  Failure  to  pay  the  tithe  was  a  barrier  to 
pra^'er,  and  left  brazen  skies  above  the  head  of  the 
Jew  who  was  covetous  and  unfaithful.  Ah,  how 
about  the  modern  day  collection  basket  ?  God 
despises  stinginess  and  punishes  it  the  same  way 
He  did  of  old,  by  making  prayers  unanswerable 
that  do  not  spring  out  of  a  life  that  pays  the  tithe. 
Do  you  think  God  has  any  more  patience  with 
meanness  of  this  kind  of  robbery  to-day  than  then  ? 
Some  of  your  prayers,  dear  reader,  do  not  go  above 
your  head  because  they  are  weighted  with  covet- 
ousness  and  disobedience ;  and  they  will  never  go 
towards  heaven  at  all  until  they  get  wings  made  of 
greenbacks.  The  millstone  of  robbery  sinks  a 
prayer  to  the  depths  of  the  sea  of  oblivion ;  but  the 
utterance  of  a  prayer  backed  with  faithful  giving 
freights  it  with  the  incense  of  true  worship  sweeter 
than  the  spices  of  "  Araby  the  blest." 

In  this  connection  and  as  introductory  to  what  I 
have  to  say  in  Chapter  lY,  let  me  say  that  in  my 
opinion  the  discussion  of  several  questions  is  full  of 
profit,  all  of  them  appropriate  to  be  introduced 
here ;  such  as :  "  Should  preachers  own  property  ? 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      57 

Should  they  have  moderate,  large,  very  large 
salaries  ?  Should  they  have  comfortable  homes  ? 
Should  they  have  a  plot  of  ground  for  a  parsonage 
garden,  owned,  either  by  the  church  they  serve  or 
by  themselves  ?  Should  they  have  an  income  be- 
yond what  the  church  affords  ?  "  All  these  ques- 
tions are  answered  fully  and  satisfactorily  in  the 
Word  of  God  itself  and  in  His  legal  setting  forth  of 
His  Financial  Plan.  Introductory,  therefore,  to  the 
next  chapter,  and  preparing  the  mind  of  the  reader 
for  what  he  will  find  there,  let  me  say  that  a  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel  is  supposed  or  required  to  give 
up  all  things  that  are  of  an  unholy  or  entangling 
nature,  in  stripping  himself  for  the  ministry.  Let 
it  be  remembered,  however,  that  if  this  stripping  is 
not  wisely  done,  he  will  handicap  himself  with  an- 
other entanglement  fully  as  mischievous  in  its  re- 
sults as  financial  profit-burdens  may  be,  namely, 
grinding  poverty.  This  is  sometimes  the  very 
handicap  which  dwarfs  the  development  of  the 
family  mind,  compels  the  family  wardrobe  to  shab- 
biness,  forces  the  father  into  retirement  while  still 
in  the  plenitude  of  his  powers  and  leaves  him, 
morally  and  intellectually  speaking,  as  juiceless  and 
insipid  as  the  orange  one  presses  and  then  throws 
away. 

There  are  more  handicaps  in  extreme  poverty 
than  in  comfortable  competency ;  and  the  man 
who  makes  no  provision  for  the  proper  clothing 
and  educating  and  bringing  up  of  his  children  is 
as  criminally  negligent  as  the  church  which  fails 


68  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

of  its  own  accord,  even  when  able,  to  cheerfully 
make  all  ministerial  duties  possible  for  its  preachers ; 
men  who  ought  to  be  the  best  paid  men  of  the  com- 
munity and  are  usually  the  poorest  paid.  The 
reason  of  this  neglect  in  part  is  that  the  Shadow 
of  Korae  has  been  athwart  our  path  in  the  past,  and 
that  shadow  has  never  wholly  retreated  from  about 
us.  The  minister  with  a  big  family  and  a  small 
salary  is  often  in  the  greatest  entanglement  of  all, 
his  debts,  which  are  like  a  millstone  about  his  neck 
and  all  but  crush  his  heart ;  and  a  pastor  in  debt, 
who  is  the  unfortunate  curate  of  a  church  that,  to 
use  the  common  phrase,  is  "  always  behind  "  on  his 
salary,  has  a  weight  on  his  heart,  that  of  a  debt 
that  is  not  his,  but  another's,  and  the  tithe  thus 
withheld  kills  the  life  of  the  Church  and  still  further 
burdens  and  discourages  the  pastor.  This  is  the 
day  of  high  salaries,  excepting  the  preacher's ;  of 
high  priced  provisions,  to  the  very  man  who,  by 
reason  of  his  circumstances,  ought  to  find  them  the 
lowest.  A  man  cannot  live  on  the  salary  of  ten 
years  ago  ;  for  prices  have  advanced,  and  are  still 
soaring  beyond  the  prices  of  yore ;  and  the  minis- 
terial wage,  like  a  bird  of  flight  with  its  wings 
cropped,  refuses  to  rise,  and  clumsily  tumbles  about 
on  the  earth,  slippery,  like  a  fresh  caught  trout,  it 
is  true,  but,  like  the  trout,  held  down  by  sitting  on 
it  if  need  be  ;  for  there  is  always  at  hand  some  self- 
constituted  "  watch  dog  of  the  treasury."  While 
labor  salaries  have  been  going  up  with  the  stand- 
ard of  living,  an  iron  hand  of  mistaken  theology^ 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  AtJPLlCATlON      59 

blundering  finance  and  wicked  covetousness  has 
refused  to  let  the  preacher's  compensation  keep 
pace  with  the  salaries  of  other  men,  or  with  the 
risen  standard  of  living ;  and  the  consequence  is, 
that  men  are  every  day  being  forced  out  of  the 
ministry,  who,  given  the  proper  conditions  of  com- 
fort and  independence,  would  be  good  for  ten, 
twenty,  even  thirty  years  of  mental  and  spiritual 
activity.  Most  superannuations  at  forty-five  or 
fifty  years  of  age  are  due  to  the  Church's  cupidity, 
and  to  her  blindness  in  not  recognizing  changed 
conditions. 

"  But  a  minister  ought  to  expect  certain  hard- 
ness. "  Yes,  but  not  hard-heartedness  in  the  Church. 
Yes,  but  not  when  hardness  is  unnecessary  or  when 
hardness  shown  to  him  would  be  criminal.  Some 
have  the  idea,  as  I  have  noted  elsewhere  and 
criticized  in  Chapter  lY,  that  a  minister  is  a  sort  of 
genteel  beggar ;  a  mendicant  going  over  the  coun- 
try with  a  shaven  poll,  barefoot,  with  a  rope  tied 
around  his  loins,  haircloth  next  his  skin,  and  a 
wooden  cup  tied  to  his  girdle  in  which  he  is  to  re- 
ceive alms.  That  conception  of  a  priesthood  be- 
longs to  India,  whence,  I  believe,  it  was  imported 
to  Eome ;  and  such  a  conception  has  more  of 
fakirism  in  it  than  anything  else.  Whence  came 
this  false  notion  of  penance  and  asceticism  ?  IN'ot 
from  the  teachings  of  Jesus ;  for  a  faithful  band  of 
holy  women  came  to  His  rescue  and  out  of  full 
purses  paid  the  bills  of  His  holy  campaigns.  The 
New  Testament,  it  is  true,  does  not  justify  James 


60  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

and  John  for  desiring  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven 
on  the  heads  of  the  Shechemites  who  would  give 
neither  bread  nor  water,  nor  sell  bread,  to  the 
hungry  Jesus  at  the  well;  but  remember  that 
neither  does  the  ]^ew  Testament  justify  that  depri- 
vation which  in  this  instance  brought  hot  anger  to 
the  soul  of  the  faithful  John.  "But  they  went 
without  purse  or  scrip."  Yes,  but  they  went  among 
Jews  who  had  been  taught  for  generations  to  tithe 
their  incomes  to  the  ministers  of  God.  Hear  Philip 
Schaff  on  this  point :  "  After  the  Exile  the  Mosaic 
prescripts  were  enforced  with  great  regularity."  * 
He  says  moreover :  "  The  apostles  never  mention 
tithes  because  that  in  their  time  the  voluntary  of- 
ferings of  the  members  still  sufficed  for  the  want  of 
the  Church;"^  so  that  from  the  Keturn  from 
Babylon,  and  during  the  period  of  five  hundred 
years  and  beyond,  there  had  been  a  constantly 
cumulative  and  cumulating  compliance  with  the 
tithing  law  ;  and  in  the  days  of  Jesus  the  Pharisees 
went  beyond  the  requirements  of  Moses  and  of 
Ezra  and  tithed  even  garden  produce,  exempt  under 
the  old  law,  as  the  Eabbins  themselves  have  con- 
fessed. It  was  after  the  Apostolic  Church  was 
established  long  after,  that  it  became  necessary,  on 
account  of  the  growing  laxity,  to  mention  and  to 
enforce  the  old  law  of  the  tithe.^ 

The  idea  of  priestly  mendicancy  came  in  the  time 
of  laxity  when  the  corruption  of  the  world  and  the 

*  "  New  Religious  Encyolopsedia,"  Art.  **  Tithes." 

» Ibid,  « Ibid. 


MATERIAL  AKD  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      61 

general  closing  of  purses  amounted  to  an  awful 
sacrilege.  ISTow  that  the  Church  is  awakened  and 
immorality  in  vast  communities  no  longer  drives 
men  into  the  solitide  of  the  desert,  we  still  have 
those  who  keep  up  the  old  apostasy,  which  was 
itself  the  child  of  apostasy,  and  insist  that  the 
minister  of  God  is  a  mendicant,  and  ought  to  go  in 
shiny  Prince  Albert  coat  and  in  frayed  out  ill- 
fitting  dress  coats  that  have  been  thrown  away  by 
other  people.  Out  upon  such  impious  misinterpre- 
tations or,  rather,  such  willful  ignorance  of  Scrip- 
ture, which  makes  it  plain  that  God's  man  both 
needs  and  deserves,  and  ought  to  receive  the  very 
best ;  and  receive  it,  too,  in  all  abundance  and 
plenteousness.  Wesley  felt  the  influence  of  Eome 
when  he  used  to  go  into  the  orchard,  lie  upon  the 
ground,  and  wake  in  the  morning  with  his  hair 
frozen  to  the  soil.  Luther  had  the  ascetic  notion, 
a  perverted  one,  when  he  fasted  to  excess  and  at 
last,  in  a  paroxysm  of  hallucination,  threw  his  ink- 
bottle  at  the  devil  who  was  tormenting  him.  The 
same  thing  could  be  repeated  by  ourselves,  ink- 
bottle  and  all,  if  we  would  fast  to  excess  of  bodily 
weakness  as  did  Luther.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  St.  Anthony.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the 
peculiar  psychological  condition,  in  which  he  saw 
wild  and  alluring  forms  about  him,  was  the  result 
of  excessive  fasting,  excessive  wakefulness,  and  the 
resulting  bodily  weakness;  and  it  was  the  first 
stage  of  dangerous  lunacy,  due  to  muscular  col- 
lapse and  unnecessary  nervous  overstrain.     This 


e^  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TlTHU 

physiological  phase  of  the  subject,  joined  to  the 
psychological,  will  also  probably  explain  the 
incident  in  which  St.  Dunstan  is  said  to  have 
wrung  the  nose  of  the  devil  with  a  red  hot  pincers, 
until  his  Satanic  Majesty  roared  for  mercy.  The 
better  understanding  of  the  Gospel  and  of  the 
laws  of  health,  and  especially  of  the  teachings  of 
modem  day  psychology,  make  it  clear  what  a  mass 
of  gammon  and  of  sanctified  tommyrot  passed 
unaer  the  name  of  the  miraculous  during  the 
Middle  Ages  and  on  down  to  the  Lutheran  Eef or- 
mation.  Men  are  led  to  wisdom  nowadays  in 
seeing  that  God  is  best  pleased  by  taking  good 
care  of,  clothing  well  and  feeding  well,  the  bodies 
He  has  given  us  ;  that  these  bodies  are  the  temples 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  and,  like  temples,  must  be  kept 
in  shining  repair.  Humility  is  not  a  flower  to 
bloom  on  a  bruised  and  bleeding  stem ;  but,  as  you 
would  raise  roses  from  well  tended  and  well 
watered  stocks,  so  you  will  get  the  best  service 
out  of  men  when  their  minds  are  free  from  the 
crazy  hallucinations  of  overfasting,  who  are  in 
health,  every  nerve  throbbing  from  well  fed 
vitality,  and  who  have  no  unnecessary  financial 
worries  to  make  them  serve  tables  and  which 
harass  them  into  premature  superannuation  and  de- 
crepitude. 

I  hear  it  said  that  a  minister  should  not  own 
property  because  such  ownership  might  engender 
temptation  ;  yet  I  see  the  layman  who  makes  the 
criticism  willing  to  stand  any  amount  of  tempta- 


MATERIAL  AND  SOCIAL  APPLICATION      63 

tion  of  that  kind,  and  pluming  himself  to  think 
that,  unaided  of  God  even,  he  can  successfully  with- 
stand it.  Then  again  I  see  some  preachers  im- 
providently  throwing  their  money  to  the  birds  in 
unwise  spending  upon  themselves,  a  spending  that 
sometimes  is  misnamed  benevolence ;  and  as  they 
come  to  their  death  beds  saying,  "  the  Lord  will 
provide,"  forgetting  that  His  provision  was  during 
their  own  lifetime,  when  they  were  receiving 
salaries  to  take  care  of  and  husband  ;  forget- 
ting also  that  God  nowadays  often  provides  for 
His  ministers  with  cheap  Dakota  land,  with  cheap 
life  insurance,  with  cheap  land  in  Wyoming  or  in 
Alberta,  and  has  given  them  brains  to  carefully 
plan  such  investments,  as  well  as  other  legitimate 
ones  that  I  need  not  name.  And  I  think  when  I 
hear  of  all  this  how  badly  we  are  in  need  of  the 
operation  and  careful  observance  of  the  system 
God  has  provided.  "What  that  system  is,  how  it 
operated,  has  been  shown  in  part ;  and  inf erentially, 
how  it  would  operate  now,  if  put  into  full  force, 
and  what  were  the  problems  in  Moses'  day  to  be 
met  and  overcome,  it  will  be  the  province  of  the 
next  chapter  to  show. 


rv 

THE  PEOBLEM  OF  MINISTEEIAL 
SUPPOET  (B.  0.  1500) 

CONTEAKY  to  much  modern  teaching,  and 
utterly  subverting  the  idea  that  God's 
ministers  are  to  live  in  genteel  or  semi- 
genteel,  or  subgenteel  poverty,  is  the  story  of  the 
priesthood  and  of  priestly  support,  found  in  the 
Pentateuch,  illustrated  in  the  historical  books, 
enforced  with  warnings  and  threatenings  in  the 
books  of  the  prophets,  endorsed  by  Christ,  illus- 
trated again  by  St.  Paul,  who  points  out  the  grand, 
ever-gladdening  truth,  that  Christ,  to-dcmj,  vn  the 
hea/vens,  as  priest  for  the  race,  is  the  receiver  of 
tithes  from  all  His  Church,  the  Church  that  He 
has  redeemed  with  His  own  ^precious  hlood,  the 
Church  which  needs  the  tithes  to-day  to  ca/rry  on 
His  worh  victoriously,  and  to  roh  it  of  them,  is 
directly  to  roh  Jesus  and  lea/ve  Him  emj>ty  handed 
in  the  shies. 

The  whole  discussion  of  tithes  and  offerings 
pivots  itself  about  the  idea  of  ministerial  support ; 
and  I  say  again,  as  I  did  in  the  preface  to  this 
book,  that  the  problems  of  B.  c.  1500  are  the 
problems  of  the  twentieth  century.  The  Hebrew 
conception  is  that  God  is  honored  by  honoring  His 

64 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      65 

ministers.  I  present  herewith  some  studies  in  the 
books  of  Leviticus,  Joshua  and  JS'umbers,  with 
exegesis  and  commentary  derived  from  many- 
sources,  including  my  own  thought ;  for  some 
facts  were  so  plainly  inferable  from  other  facts 
that  it  has  needed  only  a  little  common  sense  to 
point  out  the  necessary  connection.  Philo  Judseus, 
Josephus,  the  Talmud  and  the  Jewish  Encyclopasdia 
are  especially  valuable  in  elucidating  the  parts  of 
the  above  mentioned  Scriptures  that  deal  with  the 
question  of  priestly  support.  To  Philo  first  of  all 
we  will  direct  our  attention,  since  what  he  has  to 
say  may  well  serve  as  introduction  to  what  other 
writers  have  said. 

His  remarks  as  to  "  the  kinds  of  animals  fit  for 
sacrifice "  are  significant.  Of  birds,  he  says  that 
only  the  turtle  dove,  gentle  and  loving  solitude, 
and  the  pigeon,  gentle  and  gregarious,  could  be 
used.  Animals  such  as  oxen,  sheep,  goats,  gentle, 
herbivorous,  could  be  offered,  but  had  to  be  scruti- 
nized most  carefully  for  blemishes.  Some  of  the 
victims  were  offered  every  day,  others  at  the  new 
moon,  others  still  at  the  full  moon,  and  some  on 
days  of  fasting.  Every  seventh  day  a  double 
number  was  sacrificed.  Incense  was  offered  twice 
every  day,  at  sunrise  and  at  sunset.  Loaves  of 
bread  were  a  symbol  of  temperance,  frankincense 
stood  for  economy  and  temperance,  salt  denoted 
the  duration  of  all  things.  There  were  three 
classes  of  victims : 

(1)    Whole  Burnt  Offerings. 


e^  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

(2)  Offerings  for  Preservation. 

(3)  Sin  Offerings. 

The  whole  victim  denoted  "  many  things  instead 
of  one,  one  instead  of  many."  The  male  victim 
denoted  domination  ;  the  female,  passiveness.  The 
hands  were  placed  on  the  victim's  head,  to  denote 
action  without  reproach.  The  blood  was  poured 
round  the  altar  in  a  circle,  because  a  circle  is  the 
Laost  perfect  of  all  symbols.  The  belly  and  feet 
of  the  victim  were  washed  to  denote  purification 
from  appetite. 

Offerings  of  Preservation : 

These  were  fat,  the  lobe  of  the  liver,  the  kid- 
neys, and  were  for  the  altar.  All  other  parts  were 
for  a  feast  for  the  sacrificer.  The  fat  was  offered 
because  it  was  the  richest  part ;  the  kidneys,  be- 
cause adjacent  to  the  source  of  the  life-principle. 

The  priests  were  to  partake  of  all  the  fat,  like- 
wise of  all  dough-offerings.  First  fruits  were  very 
plentiful,  and  sacred  to  priestly  and  not  to  Levitical 
uses.  Wine  was  brought  from  every  wine-press ; 
and  there  were  thousands  of  them  in  Judea. 
Wheat  and  barley  came  from  every  threshing  floor  ; 
oil  from  all  olive  trees.  Eatable  fruit  from  all 
trees.  Every  orchard  paid  its  tribute.  All  first 
bom  males  of  all  clean  land  animals  were  the 
Lord's.  Thus,  the  first  born  calves,  the  first  born 
lambs,  the  first  bom  kids,  were  the  Lord's.  There 
was  a  money  ransom  for  all 

Young  horses,  Youn^  camels. 

Young  asses,  And  similar  beasts. 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      67 

Philo  says  that  the  Jews  bred  these  animals  in 
numbers  so  vast  that  ia  the  rearing  of  them  they 
outclassed  every  other  nation;  and  may  we  not 
say  that  this  outclassing  resulted  from  the  special 
blessing  of  God,  on  the  labors  and  sacrifices  of 
those  who  were  faithful  in  dividing  with  Him  ? 

The  first  born  of  children  were  redeemed  at  a 
fixed  price  in  money,  an  equal  sum  for  poor  and 
rich,  a  sum  in  the  power  of  every  one  to  give,  and, 
I  may  add,  teaching  that  in  the  divme  theocracy 
which  God  established,  which  is  only  another  name 
for  democracy,  the  redemption  of  the  first  born 
shadowed  for  this  great  truth  that,  before  the  law 
and  before  God,  "all  men  are  created  free  and 
equal."    Then  Philo  adds : 

"  But  the  men  of  this  nation  contribute  their 
payments  to  the  priest  with  joy  and  cheerfulness, 
anticipating  the  collectors,  and  cutting  short  the 
time  allowed  for  making  the  contributions,  and 
thinking  that  they  are  themselves  receiving  rather 
than  giving;  and  so  with  words  of  blessing  and 
thankfulness,  they  all,  both  men  and  women,  bring 
their  offerings  at  each  of  the  seasons  of  the  year, 
with  a  spontaneous  cheerfulness,  readiness  and  zeal, 
beyond  all  description."  * 

Alongside  of  the  above  particulars  given  by 
Philo  Judaeus,  let  me  subjoin  some  facts  collected 
by  Ewald,  in  his  "  Antiquities  of  Israel,"  pp.  298- 
306,  as  follows : 

The  priests  were  not  to  devote  themselves  to  the 
^  philo  Judaeus,  "On  the  Rewards  ot  the  Priests," 


68  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

cultivation  of  the  soil,  nor  to  external  acquisitions, 
but  were  to  live  upon  tithes,  offerings  and  perqui- 
sites of  their  office.  The  inferior  Levites  were 
scattered  through  the  whole  country,  and  on  them 
devolved  the  duty  of  collecting  tithes,  which  were 
paid  at  will  at  the  local  towns,  and  every  third 
year  all  tithes  that  might  have  remained  unpaid 
were  paid  in  full.  The  first  fruits  were  too  holy 
for  man's  use,  and  belonged  to  God.  All  the 
products  of  the  soil,  including  oil  and  must,  were 
to  be  brought.  The  com  just  threshed  at  the  barn- 
floor,  a  cake  of  the  first  dough,  all  first  born  males 
of  sacrificial  animals  had  to  be  brought.  The  first 
fruits  were  given  to  the  priests,  and  not  to  the 
Levites  inferior.  Deuteronomy  adds  to  the  other 
tithes  the  fleece  of  the  first  shorn  sheep.  All  the 
booty  of  the  wars  was  subject  to  subtraction  of  the 
five  hundredth  part  for  the  Lord,  to  be  taken  from 
the  warrior's  share ;  and  one  part  in  fifty  from 
the  booty  of  the  rest  of  the  nation,  given  to  the 
inferior  Levites.  This  applied  to  living  booty. 
All  that  was  metallic  passed  direct  to  the  priests, 
not  for  their  support,  but  for  the  endowment  of 
the  sanctuary. 

Poll  tax  was  paid  by  all  above  twenty  years  old 
and  amounted  to  a  half -shekel  of  silver. 

All  first  fruits,  as  noted  elsewhere,  and  iterated 
here,  came  to  the  priests,  and  not  to  the  ordinary 
Levites. 

Other  perquisites  of  the  ministerial  office  were 
shares  in  the  sacrifices,  which,  as  Philo  Judgeus 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      69 

notes,  in  the  case  of  the  Offering  for  Preservation, 
all  belonged  to  the  sacrificer  at  the  altar,  except  the 
fat,  lobe  of  the  liver,  and  the  kidneys ;  and  this 
would  provide  a  rich  feast  for  those  allowed  to 
partake  of  it. 

Another  perquisite  of  the  priests  was  the  skins 
of  the  animals  for  the  burnt  offerings.  These,  says 
PhiLo,  were  "an  incredible  multitude."  The 
leather  industry  in  Palestine,  an  industry  which 
reached  out  all  over  the  world  of  the  Komans,  was 
helped  by  the  sale  of  these  skins,  to  be  manu- 
factured into  the  common  leathers  of  commerce. 
Ewald  remarks  that  the  skins  from  all  other  animal 
sacrifices  were  also,  probably  enough,  the  perqui- 
sites of  the  priests.  Again,  from  all  animal  offer- 
ings, from  animal  guilt  offerings  and  from  all  ex- 
piatory offerings  except  of  the  two  highest  grades, 
the  priests  received  all  the  flesh  except  small  altar 
pieces.  All  the  corn  and  flesh  portions  of  the 
thank  offerings  might  be  eaten  at  home.  All 
of  the  foregoing  eatable  things,  except  the  last 
named,  had  to  be  consumed  in  the  forecourt  of  the 
Holy  Place.  Kone  of  their  lodgers  could  partake 
of  these  things. 

Forty-eight  small  towns  with  their  open  spaces 
where  their  cattle  might  be  pastured,  and  where 
they  might  raise  a  surplus  of  cattle  to  sell 
for  sacrificial  purposes,  were  a  part  also  of  the 
gracious  gifts  of  the  theocracy  to  the  ministry  that 
served  it.  In  other  words,  at  the  direct  command 
of  God  given  to  Moses,  and  fulfilled  by  Joshua 


70  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

after  the  Israelites  were  settled  in  Canaan,  forty, 
eight  cities,  six  of  them  cities  of  refuge,  were 
given  to  God's  ministry,  cities  which  were  theirs  by 
inalienable  right,  and  in  case  any  Levite  fell  into 
misfortune,  and  had  to  mortgage  or  sell  his  home, 
it  came  back  to  him  or  to  his  heirs  in  the  "  Day  of 
Jubilee."  Ewald  remarks  that  the  common  extend- 
ing out  from  these  priestly  towns  stretched  from 
it  a  distance  of  two  thousand  ells.  Finally  the 
Levites,  in  the  days  of  the  kings,  when  the  theoc- 
racy (democracy)  was  broken  up,  were  dispossessed 
of  their  God-given  possessions,  the  Levitical  cities, 
and  were  crowded  into  the  small  kingdom  of 
Judah,  where  estates  were  assigned  to  them.  It 
must  be  noted,  also,  that  so  long  as  the  Levites  re- 
mained in  their  towns,  in  their  palmy  days,  they 
had  the  privilege,  if  they  desired,  of  keeping 
roomers  or  lodgers  in  their  homes,  to  enjoy  the 
revenue  therefrom. 

NAMES    OF   THE    CITIES    OWNED    BY 
THE    LEVITES' 

1.  Hebron.  10.  Gibeon. 

2.  Libnah.  11.  Geba. 

3.  Jattir.  12.  Anathoth. 

4.  Eshtemoa.  13.  Almon. 

5.  Holon.  14.  Shechem  (Mt. 

6.  Debir.  Ephraim). 

7.  Ain.  16.  Gezer. 

8.  Juttah.  16.  Kibzaim. 

9.  Bethshemesh.  17.  Beth  Horon. 

^  See  the  Book  of  Joshua,  chap.  xxi. 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      Yl 

18.  Eltekeh.  34.  Hammothdor. 

19.  Gibbethon.  35.  Kartan. 

20.  Aijalon.  36.  City    of  the    Ger- 

21.  Gathrimmon.  shonites. 

22.  Tanach.  37.  Jokneam. 

23.  Golan.  38.  Kartah. 

24.  Beeshterah  (Ashta-   39.  Dimnah. 

roth).  40.  Nahalal. 

25.  Kishon.  41.  Bezer. 

26.  Dabareh.  42.  Jahazah. 

27.  Jarmuth.  43.  Kedemoth. 

28.  Engannim.  44.  Mephaath. 

29.  Mishal.  45.  Kamoth  in  Gilead. 

30.  Abdon.  46.  Mahanaim. 

31.  Helkath.  47.  Heshbon. 

32.  Eehob.  48.  Jazer. 

33.  Kedesh  in  Galilee. 

The  Bagster  Bible  in  a  marginal  note  on  this  list 
of  cities '  asserts,  I  know  not  on  what  authority,  that 
the  suburbs  or  environs  of  these  forty-eight  towns 
were  divided,  for  the  first  608  yards  from  the 
walls,  into  spaces  for  barns,  gardens,  etc.,  circling  the 
cities,  and  the  next  1,208  yards,  to  the  outermost 
part  of  the  circle  enclosing  the  first,  were  for  pas- 
tures and  vineyards. 

It  is  amusing  to  see  what  hard  work  some  of  the 
commentators  and  scholiasts  have  made  of  a  very 
simple  matter.  Kosenmueller,  in  his  "  Scholia  in 
Yetus  Testamentum,"^  which  he  wrote  in  very 
concise  and  for  the  most  part  in  rather  elegant 
Latin,    has    the  following  to  say    in    regard    to 

*  See  the  Book  of  Joshua,  chap.  xxi. 
'  See  his  Latin  notes  on  Numbers  xxxv. 


72  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  Levitical  suburbs,  which  I  translate  for  the 
benefit  of  the  lay  reader  who  may  have  neglected 
or  forgotten  his  Eoman  classics ; 

"For  it  is  the  empty  space,  ^Migrash,'  which 
surrounds    the  city,   the  suburban  ground,  from 

*  Garash,'  which  does  not  occur  in  the  Old  Testament, 
unless  with  the  sense  of  expelling,  throwing  out,  and 
indeed  has  obtained  the  cognate  idea  of  leaving 
empty  ;  whence  it  is  to  be  reckoned  that  *  gurash  ' 
means  empty,  bare  (Ezek.  xlv.  2).  *  Migrash '  refers 
to  the  void  space  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
temple.  That  space,  outside  the  cities,  is  given 
to  the  Levites  for  this  end,  that  the  tithes  of  the 
flocks  and  herds  granted  them  by  law  should  be 
able  to  feed  in  the  pasture  land  every  day  until  the 
time  of  slaughter  (verse  3). 

"3.     *y  'Lirkusham,'   'and    their    possessions.' 

*  K  'Kush,'  on  the  whole,  although  it  generally  de- 
notes property  or  possessions,  specifically,  as  here,  de- 
notes any  flocks  and  herds  soever,  in  which  the  riches 
of  the  wealthiest  ancients  consisted.  (Compare  Gen. 
xiv.  11,  21 ;  1  Chron.  xxvii.  31.)  The  particle  4' 
prefixed  to  the  words  in  the  latter  clause  must  be 
translated  *  for.' 

"  4,  5.  And  whatever  reaches  to  the  void  spaces 
of  the  towns,  which  you  owe  the  Levites,  this 
should  extend  outside  the  wall  of  the  town 
(mikirhiov — from  the  wall  of  the  city)  a  thousand 
cubits.  Forsooth,  you  shall  measure  outside  the 
town  on  the  east  side  two  thousand  cubits,  just  as 
many  on  the  south,  west  and  north.    Moreover,  let 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      73 

the  town  itself  be  in  the  midst.  Thus,  let  be  the 
open  space  surrounding  all  cities  *  alpayim  bamah,' 
Hwo  thousand  cubits,'  that  is,  twice  a  thousand 
cubits.  (Compare  Ex.  xxvi.  8.)  *Zeh,'  sc.  'mad,' 
*  this  shall  be  the  measure.'  This  passage  especially 
has  troubled  the  commentators.  For  in  verse  4 
the  suburban  measurement  is  put  at  a  thousand 
cubits  and  verse  5  puts  the  same  measurement  at 
two  thousand  cubits.  The  Talmudists  are  ac- 
customed so  to  reconcile  these  two  verses  that  they 
are  wont  to  say,  *  Migrashim,'  *  the  places  nearest 
the  cities,'  which  serve  only  for  a  place  for  walks, 
for  washing,  and  for  human  recreation,  and  this  to 
have  been  to  the  extent  of  one  thousand  cubits. 
But  beyond  this,  to  have  been  other  spaces,  contigu- 
ous, extending  another  thousand  cubits,  and  in  these, 
the  Levites  could  plow,  sow  and  plant  vineyards ; 
and,  therefore,  those  spaces  joined  to  the  former, 
truly  to  have  been  two  thousand  cubits  in  the  whole 
extent  of  ground.  But  this  comment  of  the  Rab- 
bins the  commentators  for  the  most  part  have  justly 
disproved  since  only  ground  for  pasturage  was 
given  to  the  Levites.  Others  think,  in  verse  4, 
only  sacred  cubits  are  to  be  understood  (1  Kings  vi. 
2 ;  vii.  15). 

"  Yerse  5.  Moreover,  the  common  cubits  are  less 
than  these  by  half ;  from  which  standard  can  it  be 
gathered,  Moses  speaks,  now  of  the  sacred,  and  now 
of  the  common  cubit  ?  Then  the  sacred  cubits  are 
made  use  of  at  all  events  for  the  measurement  of 
gacred  structures  and  edifices,  not,  surely,  for  the 


74 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 


measurement  of  vacant  plots  of  ground  ;  so  that  we 
here  pass  by  other  explanations  less  probable. 
The  simplest  method  of  reconciling  verses  4 
and  5  seems  to  be  this, — to  define  the  distance 
from  the  walls  of  a  city  as  extending  a  thousand 
cubits,  and  twice  a  thousand  in  the  circuit  on 
every  side,  that  is,  in  all,  8,000,  as  this  diagram 
shows : 

2000 


tH 

1000 

Town 

1000 

g 

« 

vi 

2000 


"Whence  it  appears  that  any  one  side  of  the 
suburbs  is  twice  as  long  as  a  line  drawn  straight 
out  from  the  city,  which  is  1,000  cubits  (verse  4), 
and  there  are  left  on  the  several  sides  exactly  2,000 
cubits ;  and  so  there  is  no  need,  as  when  the  LXX, 
in  verse  4,  instead  of  *  eleph,'  say  we  should  read 
*alpayim,'  as  verse  6  has  it.  For  because  that 
translator  rendered  diff^dtoui  rc:jx£t?,  scarcely  can 
it  be  doubted  that  it  was  made  thus  for  the  sake 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      Y5 

of  removing  a  difficulty.  But  truly,  all  ancient 
commentators,  and  the  Samaritan  text,  agree  with 
our  Hebrew  text.  To  it,  however,  Josephus  seems 
to  be  opposed  who  says  {'  Antiquities,'  Book  lY, 
Chap.  4,  sec.  3),  concerning  the  cities  of  the 
Levites,  *  These  things  God  enjoined  upon  the 
(Hebrews)  that  they  should  assign  to  the  Levites 
forty-eight  good  and  choice  cities,  and  the  ground 
round  about  they  should  assign  to  them  to  the  extent 
of  2,000  cubits.'  Similarly  Philo  (*De  Proemiis 
Sacerdotum,'  Yol.  II,  p.  236,  edition  of  Mangey) 
said :  *  The  Levites  received  forty-eight  towns,  and 
in  the  suburbs,  empty  fields  for  an  extent  of  two 
thousand  cubits,  for  the  pasturage  of  their  flocks, 
and  for  the  uses  necessary  for  the  towns.'  But 
Philo,  at  whatever  place,  evidently  follows  the 
LXX,  and  Josephus,  in  this  passage  as  in  very  many 
others,  has  followed  the  same  LXX  "  (Eosenmuel- 
ler,  "  Scholia  in  Yetus  Testamentum,"  on  Numbers 

XXXV.).  ^ 

In  order  to  get  the  full  force  of  all  the  discussion 
that  goes  before  in  this  chapter,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  recapitulate  a  little  ;  and  I  shall  do  this  by  ask- 
ing the  reader  to  take  a  look  at 

THE  LARDER  OF  A  MINISTER  OF  GOD,  B.  C.  1500 

If  he  wanted  it,  he  could  have  every  day  fresh 
beef,  mutton,  in  all  the  abundance  that  the  heart 
could  desire.     His  lard  jar  was  full  all  the  time  of 

*  This  shows  a  tinge  of  the  unbelief  men  have  felt  as  to  the 
boTintif ul  provision  God  made  for  His  ministers. 


76  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  choicest  fat,  shared  by  him  with  the  Lord  in 
certain  kinds  of  sacrifice.  His  lard  was  not  lard, 
since  that  was  forbidden  to  Jews,  but  consisted  of 
the  choicest  beef  suet,  or  else  of  choicest  olive  oil. 
As  to  bread,  his  was  the  first  dough  of  bread  when 
about  to  be  baked.  As  to  drink,  there  was  never  a 
wine-press  but  what  it  sent  its  first  fruits  to  the 
priests  and  Levites,  and  since  there  were  thousands 
of  wine-presses,  the  quantity  was  enormous.  It 
consisted  of  the  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape, 
since  it  was  a  first  fruit,  brought  in  at  once  after 
pressing.  Moreover,  every  minister  had  a  wheat 
bin  and  barley  bin,  into  which  he  put  the  first  fruits 
of  the  grain  fields.  This  was  also  in  enormous 
quantity.  There  were  thousands  of  olive  groves  in 
Palestine,  and  the  first  fruits  of  these  were  brought 
in,  and  there  were  jars  and  jars  of  olive  oil  and  of 
olives,  in  the  minister's  larder.  Not  only  this,  but 
there  were  eatable  fruits  from  all  the  trees,  and  the 
first  fruits  of  apples,  pears,  peaches,  plums,  apricots, 
cherries,  and  so  on,  in  great  variety  and  abundance 
poured  into  the  minister's  larder.  It  was  always 
full,  and  abundance  of  all  these  things  rolled  in  like 
the  waves  of  the. ocean,  overwhelming  the  ministry 
so  that  special  storehouses  had  to  be  built  to  accom- 
modate it. 

THE  minister's  PERQUISITES 

All   first  born  males  of  all  clean  land  animals 
were  the  Lord's.     Philo  says '  that  young  horses, 
*  "  On  the  Rewards  of  the  Priests." 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      Y7 

young  asses,  young  camels,  and  multitudes  of 
similar  beasts,  not  named  in  the  Bible,  were  bred 
and  brought  in  incredible  multitudes  to  the  tithing 
cities,  and  if  redeemed  by  their  owners,  one-fifth 
was  added  to  the  redemption  price.  Your  minister 
of  B.  c.  1500  was  never  unprovided  with  plenty  of 
money,  or  with  the  means  to  be  converted  into 
money.  The  first  born  children  were  redeemed 
from  the  Lord  "  at  a  fixed  price  ...  an  equal 
sum  for  poor  and  rich,  a  sum  in  the  power  of  every 
one  to  give,"  and  as  the  first  born  in  this  prolific 
nation  were  very  many,  an  immense  sum  went  to 
the  ministry  from  this  source.  Moreover,  the  later 
law  in  Deuteronomy  gave  to  the  ministry  the 
fleece  of  every  first  shorn  sheep,  and  every  flock  in 
all  the  Palestinian  world  contributed  this  fleece, 
easily  converted  into  money.  All  the  booty  of  the 
wars  was  subject  to  the  subtraction  of  the  500th 
share,  to  be  taken  from  the  warrior's  part.  This 
applied  to  living  booty,  and  the  fiftieth  part  of  all  the 
rest  of  the  nation  went  to  the  inferior  Levites. 
All  that  was  metallic  passed  direct  to  the  priests, 
not  for  their  support,  but  for  the  endowment  of 
the  sanctuary.  Hence  it  is  that  here  we  have 
strong  Biblical  argument  in  favor  of  endowment 
for  churches.  Poll  tax,  mentioned  above,  amounted 
to  a  half-shekel  of  silver,  and  was  paid  without 
exception  by  all  above  twenty  years  old.  First 
fruits,  it  must  be  remembered,  were  the  special 
perquisite  of  the  priest,  and  not  of  the  ordinary 
Levites. 


78  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE  ' 

OTHEE  PEBQUISITES  OF  THE  MINIS- 
TERIAL OFFICE 

These  were :  Shares  in  the  sacrifices,  which,  in 
the  case  of  the  Offering  for  Preservation,  consisted 
in  the  entire  victim,  except  the  fat,  the  lobe  of  the 
liver,  and  the  kidneys.  The  skins  of  all  animals 
which  were  burnt  offerings  belonged  to  the  min- 
istry, and  could  be  sold  to  the  leather  trade  for 
whatever  price  was  offered,  just  as  skins  are  sold 
to-day.  If  we  add  to  these  the  skins  of  all  other 
sacrifices,  which  in  all  probability  also  belonged  to 
the  priests,  and  to  the  Levites,  an  enormous  sum  of 
money  is  indicated,  money,  too,  which  had  ten 
times  the  purchasing  power  then  that  it  has  now. 

THE  PARSONAGE   OR  MANSE   OF  B.    C.   1500 

Forty -eight  towns  belonged  to  the  Levites,  in 
fee  simple  ;  and  could  not  be  coerced  from  them  at 
all.  If  misfortune  compelled  a  Levite  to  sell  his 
home,  it  reverted  to  him  and  to  his  heirs  in  the 
Year  of  Jubilee.  One  could  imagine  even  now  the 
burst  of  rejoicing  among  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
unfortunate  Levites  when  the  Trumpet  of  Jubilee 
gave  them  back  their  ancient  patrimony,  and  home 
was  home  and  theirs  again,  perhaps  after  the  lapse 
of  forty-nine  years.  Should  preachers  to-day  own 
property  ?  This  is  pretty  well  answered,  I  think, 
in  the  divine  directions  in  regard  to  his  ministry 
of  B.  0.  1500.  The  towns  in  these  Levitical  cities 
were  to  be  goodly  towns  ;  and  if  we  reckon  each 
one  of  them  as  being  a  half  mile  in  average  di- 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      Y9 

ameter,  and  circular,  then  the  acreage  lying  outside 
of  the  walls  for  the  first  1,000  cubits  would  comprise 
563  acres  in  the  circle  which  embraced  the  town ; 
and  if  the  area  of  the  town  itself  be  deducted,  the 
net  acres  outside  for  walks  and  groves  and  barns 
and  gardens  in  the  forty-eight  towns  would  be 
27,024.  In  the  outer  thousand  cubits,  the  acreage 
would  be  900  acres,  suburban  to  each  city,  net ;  and 
the  grand  total  of  pasturage  acres  would  be  for  all 
the  forty-eight  cities  43,200  acres ;  the  grand  total 
acres  for  gardens,  groves  and  barns,  walks,  bowers, 
etc.,  would  be  69,224.  This  settles  effectually  the 
question  as  to  whether  it  is  allowable  for  a  minister 
to  own  a  house  and  a  little  farm. 

I  have  a  few  words  of  criticism  to  offer  on  the 
view  of  Eosenmueller  that  the  shape  of  these 
Levitical  towns  was  necessarily  square,  in  order  to 
account  for  the  measurements  of  1,000  and  2,000 
cubits  without  contradiction  in  verses  4  and 
5  of  the  passage  quoted  above.  Who  of  all 
writers,  let  me  ask,  have  been  more  competent  to 
the  settlement  of  questions  like  this  than  the  Eab- 
bins  ?  The  Talmud  is  an  invaluable  treasure  house 
of  Hebrew  lore, — tradition,  exegesis,  commentary, 
history,  biography,  psychology,  higher  criticism, 
poetry,  pure  literature,  all  in  one  great  conglomer- 
ation ;  and  some  time  when  some  one  shall  have  the 
courage  to  edit  the  Talmudical  library,  without 
doing  so  as  a  traditionalist,  and  shall  separate  the 
wheat  from  the  chaff,  the  gold  from  the  dross, — 
and  the  wheat  and  the  gold  would  fill  many  gran- 


80  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

aries  and  many  treasure  houses, — then  and  not  till 
then  will  we  be  able  to  come  to  a  just  appreciation 
of  the  value  of  the  Talmud.  Meanwhile,  what  we 
know  of  it  now  is  found  to  be  reliable  in  many- 
particulars  in  unfolding  obscure  portions  of  the 
Word  of  God ;  and  I  venture  to  say  that  when  the 
day  of  scientific  and  really  critical  editing  comes, 
much  light  will  be  thrown  on  the  whole  question 
of  the  administration  of  the  tithe,  both  in  Mosaic 
and  in  later  rabbinical  times,  and  that  some  things 
in  the  tithing  system  that  are  now  difficult  of  ex- 
planation will  have  much  light  thrown  upon  them 
by  what  the  Talmud,  even  the  Babylonian  edition, 
reveals.     Why  Eosenmueller's  contradiction  ? 

Moreover,  while  we  notice  the  abundance  of  all 
tithes  and  offerings,  let  us  not  forget  the  spirit  in 
which  they  were  offered;  not  with  the  spirit  of 
niggardliness,  not  with  a  feeling  of  doubt,  not  with 
a  dejection  which  says  of  a  dollar  with  a  sigh,  the 
best  of  friends  must  part,  but  a  spirit  which  was 
truly  "hilarious"  (Psalms),  and  which  shouted, 
"Hallelujah,"  "  Praise  ye  the  Lord,"  when  the  tithes 
were  brought  in.  Imagine  the  scene,  then,  when 
the  tithe  of  the  herds  was  brought  to  the  tithing 
cities,  or  was  converted  into  money  to  send  to 
Jerusalem,  or  after  being  fed  on  the  rich  pasturage 
of  the  Levitical  city  suburbs  was  driven  towards 
Jerusalem  for  slaughter.  Gladness  inexpressible 
filled  the  hearts  of  the  devout  shepherd  pilgrims. 
Hill  answered  to  hill  with  their  praises  and  their 
shouting.    They  were  going  to  Jerusalem,  "  beau- 


THE  PROBLEM  OF  MINISTERIAL  SUPPORT      81 

tiful  for  situation,"  to  Zion,  the  city  set  on  a  hill,  to 
Zion  out  of  the  perfection  of  whose  beauty  God 
had  shined.  "  Hallelujah "  echoed  towards  the 
city  from  miles  away.  "  Hallelujah,"  "  hallelujah," 
was  shouted  in  a  chain  of  chorusing  answers  that 
chased  one  another  towards  Jerusalem  from  group 
to  group  of  pilgrims.  "  Hallelujah,"  they  shouted 
over  and  over  again  ;  and  until  the  modern  Church 
has  caught  the  full  meaning  of  that  shout,  and 
catches  it  up  and  revives  it,  our  modern  Zion  will 
languish  and  droop  like  a  flower  when  the  rains 
delay  to  fall ;  but  when  the  Church  does  at  last 
catch  the  full  meaning  of  divine  injunctions,  of  the 
high  privilege  it  is  to  give,  of  the  fact  that  giving 
enriches  the  heart,  and  pays  full  toll  into  the 
treasuries  of  the  skies,  where  it  is  ours  to  lay  up 
treasures ;  then  again,  not  through  Palestine  alone, 
but  among  all  the  hills  and  valleys  of  this  round 
earth,  the  prospect  of  the  world's  near  redemption, 
hastened  on  by  the  hundredfold  multiplying  of 
our  gifts  when  all  the  Church  goes  to  tithe,  wiU 
break  forth  into  raptures  such  as  only  the  redeemed 
and  blood- washed  can  understand  ;  and  "  hallelujah, 
hallelujah,"  through  the  earth  shall  ring ;  and 
answering  to  that  divine  music  will  suddenly 
appear  again  the  Christ,  in  whom  all  sacrifices  and 
ransoms  are  completed,  and  in  whose  honor  ring 
all  church  bells,  and  on  whose  redemption  for  men 
the  wondering  angels  look  and  rejoice. 


THE  VOICES  OF  THE  HEBEEW  FATHEES 

(Prophets  and  Talmudists) 

AFTER  the  return  from  Babylon,  an  earnest 
effort  was  made  by  Nehemiah  to  secure 
fidelity  and  obedience  to  the  law  of  the 
tithe,  and  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  his  prophecy  we 
find  his  deliverance  as  follows : 

"  And  also  we  made  ordinances  for  us,  to  charge 
ourselves  yearly  with  the  third  part  of  a  shekel  for 
the  service  of  the  house  of  our  God ;  for  the  shew- 
bread,  and  for  the  continual  meat  offering,  and  for 
the  continual  burnt  offering,  of  the  Sabbaths,  of 
the  new  moons,  for  the  set  feasts,  and  for  the  holy 
things,  and  for  the  sin  offerings,  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  Israel,  and  for  all  the  work  of  the  house 
of  our  God.  And  we  cast  lots  among  the  priests, 
the  Levites,  and  the  people,  for  the  wood  offering,  to 
bring  it  into  the  house  of  our  God,  after  the  houses 
of  our  fathers,  at  times  appointed  year  by  year,  to 
burn  upon  the  altar  of  the  Lord  our  God,  as  it  is 
written  in  the  law;  and  to  bring  the  first  fruits 
of  our  ground,  and  the  first  fruits  of  all  fruit  of  all 
trees,  year  by  year,  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord : 
also  the  first  born  of  our  sons,  and  of  our  cattle,  as 
it  is  written  in  the  law,  and  the  firstlings  of  our 
herds  and  of  our  flocks,  to  bring  to  the  house  of 

82 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS         83 

our  God,  unto  the  priests  that  minister  in  the  house 
of  our  God:  and  that  we  should  bring  the  first 
fruits  of  our  dough,  and  our  offerings,  and  the  fruit 
of  all  manner  of  trees,  of  wine  and  of  oil,  unto  the 
priests,  to  the  chambers  of  the  house  of  our  God ; 
and  the  tithes  of  our  ground  unto  the  Levites,  that 
the  same  Levites  might  have  the  tithes  in  all  the 
cities  of  our  tillage.  And  the  priest,  the  son  of 
Aaron,  shall  be  with  the  Levites,  when  the  Levites 
take  tithes  :  and  the  Levites  shall  bring  up  the  tithe 
of  the  tithes  unto  the  house  of  our  God,  to  the  cham- 
bers, into  the  treasure  house.  For  the  children  of 
Israel  and  the  children  of  Levi  shall  bring  the  of- 
fering of  the  corn,  of  the  new  wine,  and  the  oil, 
unto  the  chambers,  where  are  the  vessels  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  the  priests  that  minister,  and  the 
porters,  and  the  singers ;  and  we  will  not  forsake 
the  house  of  our  God."  * 

The  above  passage  shows  that  there  was  a  thor- 
ough reform  and  a  restoration  from  the  laxity 
which  grew  up  at  Babylon,  and  which  had  obtained 
among  the  Israelites  that  remained  in  Canaan  dur- 
ing the  Captivity.  In  the  thirteenth  chapter  we 
have  the  sequel  to  all  that  goes  before  in  this : 

"  And  I  perceived  that  the  portions  of  the  Levites 
had  not  been  given  them :  for  the  Levites  and  the 
singers  that  did  the  work  were  fled  every  one  to 
his  field.  Then  contended  I  with  the  rulers,  and 
said,  Why  is  the  house  of  God  forsaken  ?  And  I 
gathered  them  together,  and  set  them  in  their 

» Neh.  X.  32-39. 


84  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

place.  Then  brought  all  Judah  the  tithe  of  the 
corn,  and  the  new  wine,  and  the  oil,  unto  the  treas- 
uries. And  I  made  treasurers  over  the  treasuries 
.  .  .  for  they  were  accounted  faithful;  and 
their  office  was  to  distribute  unto  their  brethren."  * 

At  the  rebuilding  of  the  city  gates  when  a  pro- 
gram of  rejoicing  and  song  was  arranged  by  Nehe- 
miah,  it  is  said :  "  Also  that  day  they  offered  great 
sacrifices,  and  rejoiced ;  for  God  had  made  them 
rejoice  with  great  joy  :  the  wives  also  and  the  chil- 
dren rejoiced;  so  that  the  joy  of  Jerusalem  was 
heard  even  afar  off.  And  at  that  time  were  some 
appointed  over  the  chambers  for  the  treasures,  for 
the  offerings,  for  the  first  fruits,  and  for  the  tithes, 
to  gather  into  them,  out  of  the  fields  of  the  cities, 
the  portions  of  the  law  for  the  priests  and  Levites : 
for  Judah  rejoiced  for  the  priests  and  for  the  Le- 
vites that  waited.  And  both  the  singers  and  the 
porters  kept  the  ward  of  their  God,  and  the  ward 
of  the  purification,  according  to  the  commandment 
of  David,  and  Solomon  his  son.  For  in  the  days  of 
David  and  Asaph,  of  old,  there  were  chief  of  the 
singers,  and  songs  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  unto 
God.  And  all  Israel,  in  the  days  of  Zerubbabel, 
and  in  the  days  of  N^ehemiah,  gave  the  portions  of 
the  singers  and  the  porters  every  day  his  portion ; 
and  they  sanctified  holy  things  unto  the  Levites, 
and  the  Levites  sanctified  them  unto  the  children 
of  Aaron."  ^ 

The  smiting  that  God  imposed  on  Israel  ^or 

» Neh.  xiii.  10-13.  » Neh.  xii.  43-47. 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS         85 

idolatry  and  for  neglect  of  the  tithe  is  described 
in  terms  so  denunciatory  and  terrific,  in  the  fourth 
chapter  of  Amos,  verses  4-13,  which  I  quote: 

"Come  to  Bethel  and  transgress;  at  Gilgal 
multiply  transgression;  and  bring  your  sacrifices 
every  morning,  and  your  tithes  after  three  years ; 
and  offer  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  Avith  leaven, 
and  proclaim  and  publish  the  free  offerings;  for 
this  liketh  you,  O  ye  children  of  Israel,  saith  the 
Lord  God.  And  I  also  have  given  you  cleanness  of 
teeth  in  all  your  cities,  and  want  of  bread  in  all 
your  places;  yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  Me, 
saith  the  Lord.  And  also  I  have  withholden  the 
rain  from  you,  when  there  were  yet  three  months 
to  the  harvest :  and  I  caused  it  to  rain  upon  one 
city,  and  caused  it  not  to  rain  upon  another  city : 
one  piece  was  rained  upon,  and  the  piece  where- 
upon it  rained  not  withered.  So  two  or  three  cities 
wandered  unto  one  city,  to  drink  water  ;  but  they 
were  not  satisfied :  yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto 
Me,  saith  the  Lord.  I  have  smitten  you  with  blast- 
ing and  mildew :  when  your  gardens  and  your 
vineyards,  and  your  fig  trees,  and  your  olive  trees 
increased,  the  palmer  worm  devoured  them:  yet 
have  ye  not  returned  unto  Me,  saith  the  Lord.  I 
have  overthrown  some  of  you,  as  God  overthrew 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  ye  were  as  a  firebrand 
plucked  out  of  the  burning :  yet  have  ye  not  re- 
turned unto  Me,  saith  the  Lord.  Therefore  thus 
will  I  do  unto  thee,  O  Israel :  and  because  I  will  do 
this  unto  thee,  prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel." 


S6  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Malachi  is  equally  fierce  and  denunciatory  in  his 
words,  but  has  coupled  with  them  a  promise  that 
God  has  made  to  the  Church  for  all  age  to  come  ; 
and  that  promise  ought  to  be  written  in  golden 
letters  over  ^the  doors  of  every  church  in  the 
world.     The  words  of  Malachi  are  these  : 

"  Return  unto  Me,  and  I  will  return  unto  you, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.  But  ye  say.  Wherein  shall 
we  return  ?  Will  a  man  rob  God  ?  Yet  ye  have 
robbed  Me.  But  ye  say.  Wherein  have  we  robbed 
Thee  ?  In  tithes  and  offerings.  Ye  are  cursed  with 
a  curse :  for  ye  have  robbed  Me,  even  this  whole 
nation.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse, 
that  there  may  be  meat  in  Mine  house,  and  prove 
Me  now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will 
not  open  you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you 
out  a  blessing,  that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough 
to  receive  it.  And  I  will  rebuke  the  devourer  for 
your  sakes,  and  he  shall  not  destroy  the  fruits  of 
your  ground  ;  neither  shall  your  vine  cast  her  fruit 
before  the  time  in  the  field,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. 
And  all  nations  shall  call  you  blessed."  ' 

Now  what  do  we  gather  from  these  prophetical 
passages  ?  Summing  up  the  results  of  our  findings, 
we  find  them  to  be : 

1.  After  the  Return  from  Babylon,  there  was 
an  anxious  and  scrupulous  keeping  of  the  law. 

2.  During  the  Captivity,  there  had  come  to  be  a 
great  laxity  in  the  administration  of  tithes  and  of- 
ferings,  but  this   laxity  was  done  away  by  the 

»Mal.iii.  10-12. 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS         87 

efforts    of    Ezra    and    l^ehemiah    and    their    co- 
adjutors. 

3.  There  was  great  joy  over  the  privileges  and 
the  exercise  of  duty  under  the  tithing  law  thus  re- 
stored. 

4.  A  great  defection  preceded  this  time  of 
restoration,  as  is  noticed  in  the  passage  quoted  from 
Amos.  In  this  quotation  it  appears  that  tithes 
were  being  offered  to  idols,  as  they  had  once  been 
offered  unto  God. 

5.  In  consequence  of  this  impiety  and  of  this 
withholding  of  the  tithes  from  God,  the  crops  were 
smitten  with  drouth,  blasting,  mildew,  the  palmer 
worm,  and  other  equally  destructive  agencies. 

6.  In  Malachi,  the  withholding  of  the  tithes 
and  offerings  is  expressly  declared  to  be  robbery  ; 
hence  it  is  called  that  in  this  book  you  have  in  your 
hand,  dear  reader,  and  the  epithet  is  used  through- 
out the  whole  work  where  any  reference  is  made 
to  the  unpaid  and  withholden  tithe. 

7.  It  is  expressly  promised  of  the  Lord  that  if 
the  tithes  and  offerings  shall  be  brought  in  and 
paid  to  Him,  that  He  will  throw  wide  the  windows 
of  heaven  and  give  to  the  Church  a  blessing  that  shall 
overflow  all  human  treasuries.     That  is  God's  way. 

It  will  appear  from  a  thorough  examination  of 
the  Old  Testament  that  Moses,  Nehemiah,  Amos, 
and  Malachi  have  given  us  in  concrete  form,  not 
only  the  law  of  the  tithe,  but  that  the  three  last 
named  have  given  us  what  to-day  we  would  call  a 
laboratory  demonstration  of  the  value  of  the  prac- 


88  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

tice  of  the  tithe  when  coupled  with  obedience  to 
God.  The  silver  trumpet  of  the  law  was  blown 
first,  that  men  might  hear  and  know  the  will  of 
God  in  this  matter ;  and  then  three  of  the  proph- 
ets, putting  their  golden  bugles  to  their  lips,  blew 
notes  in  unison,  having  commingled  in  them  strains 
of  warning,  of  denunciation,  of  blessing,  and  of 
blessing  promised.  The  sound  of  that  music,  with 
its  rich  chords  of  grace  and  its  minor  strains  of 
warning  and  denunciation,  is  echoing  yet  through 
the  earth. 

It  is  now  a  matter  of  interesting  inquiry  to  note 
what  was  both  said  and  done  by  the  Kabbins,  after 
the  closing  of  the  Old  Testament  canon,  and  to 
what  a  stage  of  development  their  exegesis  and 
their  teaching  of  the  law  was  brought,  just  preced- 
ing the  time  of  Christ,  and  after  the  opening  of  the 
Christian  Era,  on  down  to  the  days  when,  like  the 
Old  Testament,  even  the  Talmud  voiced  the  teach- 
ings of  its  last  page,  and  then  refrained  from 
further  deliverances.  In  order  to  get  anything 
like  a  connected  view  in  this  matter,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  development 
and  history  of  the  Talmud,  that  great  storehouse 
of  the  wisdom  of  the  Hebrew  Kabbinical  Fathers. 

It  must  be  understood  first  of  all  that  the  Phari- 
sees, the  "  hedgers  of  the  law,"  grew  up  in  Baby- 
lon and  on  the  Keturn  became  a  very  large  and  in- 
fluential class  in  the  Holy  Land.  The  mass  of  their 
teachings  and  the  notes  accumulated  orally  by  the 
scribes  was   transmitted  by  word  of  mouth   by 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS    89 

prodigious  efforts  of  the  human  memory,  through 
all  the  period  after  the  close  of  the  Old  Testament 
canon,  and  down  to  the  coming  of  Christ  ;  and 
what  writings  there  were  of  a  Talmudical  charac- 
ter were  in  a  confused  and  chaotic  state.  Judah, 
the  descendent  of  Hillel  and  of  Gamaliel,  collected 
and  classified  these  writings  at  the  end  of  the 
second  century  after  Christ,  embodymg  in  his  work 
all  traditions,  so  as  to  distribute  them  uniformly 
among  all  the  Talmudical  schools.  Thus  was 
formed,  first  of  all,  the  "  Mishna,"  or  "  diligent 
teaching"  (from  "shanan").  The  Mishna  gives  an 
account  of  how  the  laws  of  the  Pentateuch  were  le- 
gally interpreted.     It  is  comprised  under  six  heads ; 

1.  Agricultural  Products  ("  Zerayim  "). 

2.  Festivals  and  Kegulations  ("  Mivar  "). 

3.  Marriage  and  Divorce  ("  K'shim  "). 

4.  The  Doctrine  of  Mine  and  Thine  ("  N'zikin  "). 

5.  The  Sanctity  of  Sacrifices  ("  Kidshiah  "). 

6.  The  Pure  and  the  Impure  in  Eitual  Matters 
("Tu*uph"). 

Kabbi  Judah  did  not  complete  the  Mishna,  which 
in  the  part  called  "  Aboth  "  takes  historical  form. 
It  became,  however,  even  in  its  fragmentary  state, 
the  text-book  in  all  the  Palestinian  schools. 

The  "  Midrash,"  the  word  meaning  "  extension," 
"  inquiry,"  which  enlarges  and  continues  the  Mishna, 
in  fact  contains  three  commentaries,  is  exegetical, 
and  was  developed  down  to  the  eighth  and  ninth 
centuries  A.  D.,  and  is  a  "homiletic  thesaurus," 
written  in  Hebrew,  with  rarely  a  touch  of  Aramaic  ; 


90  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

but  in  it  are  new  forms  of  construction,  covering 
science,  commerce,  trades,  jurisprudence,  domestic 
economy,  in  a  manner  of  composition  unknown  in 
Biblical  Hebrew. 

This  "  in  extenso  "  work  of  the  Talmudists  was 
completed  in  the  "  Gemara,"  which  means  "  com- 
pletion." Eab  and  Samuel,  two  of  the  pupils  of 
Judah,  gave  the  Mishna  to  the  schools  in  Babylonia ; 
so  that  there  are  two  Talmuds,  that  imperfectly 
developed  in  Palestine  by  Judah,  and  the  Babylo- 
nian Talmud,  developed  in  that  far-off  region  after 
the  collapse  of  the  Palestinian  schools;  and  also 
after  the  last  surviving  institution  of  learning,  the 
School  at  Tiberias,  was  practically  demolished,  and 
the  work  brought  to  a  standstill,  which  event  hap- 
pened after  the  death  of  Julian.  Neither  Talmud, 
much  as  the  fact  may  surprise  us,  contains  or  com- 
prehends all  six  orders  or  heads  of  the  "  Mishna." 
Prof.  E.  Gans,  himself  an  able  jurist,  says  that  no 
"  Corpus  Juris  "  known  to  him  gives  evidence  of  so 
much  labor  of  a  critical  kind,  and  shows  as  much 
penetration,  as  does  the  Talmud  on  the  law  of  In- 
heritance and  Succession.  In  criminal  cases,  the 
spirit  of  humanity  appears,  far  in  advance  of  the 
time  of  composition.  "A  court  that  passes  sen- 
tence of  death  once  in  a  week  of  years  (seven  years) 
is  indeed  a  pernicious  tribunal."  Kabbi  Eleazar 
added  :  "  I  hold  it  to  be  such,  if  it  does  so  once  in 
seventy  years."  * 

*  '*  Essays  and  Addresses  of  the  Owens  College,"  Manchester, 
Essay  by  T.  Theodores,  "  The  Talmud,"  London,  1874. 


VOICES  OP  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS    91 

"  Turn  it  and  turn  it  again,"  says  the  Talmud  in 
speaking  of  the  Old  Testament,  "  for  everything  is 
in  it."  *  "  Search  the  Scriptures,"  said  Jesus,  "  for 
in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life."  ^  The  word 
"  Midrash  "  occurs  in  the  Hebrew  of  the  Book  of 
Chronicles,  and  there  means  "  story."  ^ 

1.  We  had  the  scribes.^ 

2.  Then  came  the  "  Learners "  or  "  Kepeat- 
ers." « 

Eighty  years  B.  c.  schools  flourished  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Holy  Land.®  Educa- 
tion had  at  that  time  been  made  compulsory.^ 
Greek,  Latin,  Hebrew,  Syriac,  all  flourished  there.' 
The  Jews,  then  as  now,  were  great  linguists.^ 
Science,  astrology,  magic,  were  required  as  priestly 
accomplishments.^^  The  following  Eabbinical  say- 
ings prove  the  high  regard  that  both  the  priestly 
and  the  lower  classes  had  for  higher  education : 

"Jerusalem  was  destroyed  because  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  young  was  neglected." 

"  The  world  is  saved  by  the  breath  of  the  school 
children." 

"  Even  from  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple,  the 
schools  must  not  be  interrupted." 

"  Study  is  more  meritorious  than  sacrifice." 

"  A  scholar  is  greater  than  a  prophet." 

"  You  should  revere  your  teacher  even  more  than 

*  "The  Literary  Remains  of  Emanuel  Deutsch,"  Essay  on  "The 
Talmud."  «  John  v.  39.  '  Deutsch. 

*Ihid.  ^Ihid.  ^  Ibid.  ''Ibid. 

*Md.  ^  Ibid.  ^^Ibid. 


92  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

your  fathers.  The  latter  only  brought  you  into  this 
world,  the  former  indicates  the  way  into  the  next. 
But  blessed  is  the  son  who  has  learned  from  his 
father :  he  shall  revere  him  both  as  his  father  and 
his  master ;  and  blessed  is  the  father  who  has  in- 
structed his  son."  * 

I  know  of  nothing  in  the  realm  of  modern 
pedagogy  stronger  than  the  foregoing. 

The  "  High  Schools  "  or  "  Kallahs  "  met  during 
some  months  of  the  year.  Teaching  was  nearly 
purely  Socratic,  that  is  to  say,  by  questions  and  an- 
swers.^   Jesus  exemplified  it.^ 

While  Yespasian  was  besieging  Jerusalem,  Rabbi 
Jochanan  Ben  Zakkai,  in  order  to  reach  the  Eoman 
camp  unmolested,  was  carried  out  of  the  city  in  a 
coffin  accompanied  by  a  funeral  procession ;  and 
when  he  got  safely  out  of  the  casket,  and  was 
brought  before  Yespasian,  being  told  that  he  might 
ask  for  anything  he  desired,  did  not  ask  for  a  safe 
conduct,  or  to  be  made  rich,  or  to  be  allowed  to 
settle  down  to  seclusion  somewhere,  but  said,  "  Per- 
mit me  to  open  a  school  at  Jabneh."  He  did  this, 
and  prophesied  that  Israel's  highest  mission  would 
be,  not  to  offer  sacrifices,  but  to  bring  blessing  to 
the  whole  world.^ 

The  Babylonian  Talmud  is  about  four  times  as 
large  as  the  Jerusalem,   consisting  of    thirty-six 

*  Deutsch. 

*  "  The  Literary  Remains  of  Emanuel  Dentach,"  Essay,  "  The 
Talmnd."  '  JMd.     See  Luke  ii.  46. 

*  "  Jewish  Literature  and  Other  Essays,"  Karpeles, 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS        93 

treatises,  3,000  folio  pages,  twelve  huge  volumes. 
A  Haggada  passage  says :  "  Six  hundred  and  thir- 
teen injunctions  were  given  by  Moses  to  the  people 
of  Israel.  David  reduced  them  to  eleven ;  the 
prophet  Isaiah  classified  these  under  six  heads ; 
Micah  enumerated  only  three.  *What  doth  the 
Lord  require  of  thee  but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love 
mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God  ? '  An- 
other prophet  limited  them  to  two :  *  Keep  ye 
judgment  and  do  righteousness.'  Amos  put  all  the 
commandments  under  one  :  '  Seek  ye  Me,  and  ye 
shall  live.'  And  Habakkuk  said  :  '  The  just  shall 
live  by  faith.'  This  is  the  ethics  of  the  Talmud."  » 
With  these  quotations  and  observations  before 
him,  the  reader  will  be  the  better  able  to  understand 
what  a  treasury  of  Biblical  lore  the  Talmud  is  ;  and 
not  the  least  interesting  is  that  part  of  this  great 
work  which  refers  to  "  The  Law  of  the  Tithe." 
The  section  of  the  Talmud  under  which  we  find  the 
following  quotation  is,  "  YII.  Maaseroth,  or  Tithes  " ; 
and  Bernard  Pick,  in  his  work  on  the  Talmud,  con- 
denses the  above  section  into  running  statements  as 
follows:  "  Tithes,  due  to  the  Levites,  in  five  chapters; 
{a)  of  the  kinds  of  fruits  subject  to  tithes,  and  from 
what  time  on  they  are  due  (8  sections) ;  (b)  of  ex- 
ceptions (8  sections) ;  {c)  where  fruits  become  titha- 
ble  (10  sections) ;  {d)  of  preserving,  picking  out,  and 
other  cases  exempted  from  tithes  (6  sections) ;  {e)  of 
removing  plants,  of  buying  and  selling;  of  wine 
and  seed  that  cannot  be  tithed  (8  sections). 

*  "Jewish  Literature  and  Other  Essays,"  Karpeles. 


94  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

"  YIII.  Maaser  Sheni,  or  Second  Tithe,  which  the 
Levites  had  to  pay  out  of  their  tenth  to  the  priests, 
in  five  chapters;  {a)  that  this  tenth  cannot  be 
disposed  of  in  any  way  (7  sections) ;  (b)  only  things 
necessary  for  eating,  drinking,  and  anointing  can 
be  bought  for  the  money  of  the  tenth ;  what  to  do 
when  tenth  money  is  to  be  exchanged  (10  sections) ; 
((?)  fruits  of  the  second  tenth,  while  once  in  Jeru- 
salem, cannot  be  taken  out  again  (13  sections) ;  {d) 
what  must  be  observed  at  the  price  of  the  tenth, 
and  how  money  and  that  which  is  found  must  be 
regarded  (12  sections ) ;  {e)  of  a  vineyard  in  its 
fourth  year,  the  fruits  of  which  are  equally  regarded 
as  the  fruits  of  the  second  tenth ;  and  how  the  hiur, 
or  taking  away  of  the  tenth,  is  performed  in  a 
solemn  manner  according  to  Deut.  xxvi.  13  seq.  (15 
sections)."  Other  observations  by  Pick  might  be 
given,  but  the  above  will  suffice  to  show  the 
exceedingly  important  and  valuable  character  of 
the  Talmud  as  throwing  light,  bright  light,  on  "  The 
Law  of  the  Tithe  "  ;  and  only  emphasizes  the  need 
of  a  popular  edition  of  the  Babylonian  Talmud 
which  shall  be  serviceable  for  reference  both  by 
ministers  and  by  teachers  of  the  Bible.  Many 
writers  on  Tithing  have  confessed  the  subject  to  be 
very  difficult  and  obscure  to  them;  the  rcEison 
plainly  appearing  that  they  were  not  acquainted 
with  the  best  commentary  on  the  Pentateuch  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  Jew  that  has  ever  appeared, 
namely  the  Babylonian  Talmud  itself.  Eenan  said 
with  truth :  "  In  the  history  of  the  origins  of  Chris- 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS    95 

tianity,  the  Talmud  has  hitherto  been  far  too  much 
neglected." 

Not  to  protract  this  chapter  to  too  great  a  length, 
I  subjoin  here  the  teachings  of  the  Talmud  on 
"  Benevolence,"  as  they  are  condensed  by  H.  Polano 
in  that  excellent  work  of  his  entitled,  "  The  Talmud : 
Selections  from  that  Ancient  Book,  Its  Commen- 
taries, Teachings,  Poetry,  and  Legends." 

"  II.     Teachings  of  the  Kabbis :  Benevolence. 

"  According  to  a  proverb  of  the  fathers,  benevo- 
lence is  one  of  the  pillars  upon  which  the  world 
rests.  *The  world,'  said  they,  *is  sustained  by 
virtue  ^of  three  things, — the  law,  divine  worship, 
and  active  benevolence.'  The  Pentateuch  com- 
mences and  ends  with  an  act  of  benevolence,  as  it 
is  written,  *  And  the  Lord  God  made  unto  Adam 
coats  of  skin  and  clothed  them '  (Gen.  iii.  20) ; 
and  also,  *  And  He  (God)  buried  him '  (Deut.  xxxiv. 
6).  To  do  a  person  a  favor  is  to  act  beneficently 
towards  him  mthout  any  hope  or  desire  of  return, 
and  may  be  practiced  in  two  cases, — to  oblige  a 
person  to  whom  we  are  not  under  obligf  ^^on,  and 
to  accommodate  or  oblige  a  person,  w;tii  more 
trouble  to  ourselves  and  more  gain  to  hini  than  he 
deserves.  The  mercy  which  is  mentioned  in  the 
Bible  is  that  which  is  given  freely  and  without 
desert  upon  the  part  of  one  to  whom  it  is  granted ; 
for  instance,  the  benevolence  of  God  is  called  mercy, 
because  we  are  in  debt  to  God,  and  He  owes  us  noth- 
ing. Charity  is  also  a  species  of  benevolence,  but 
it  can  only  be  applied  to  the  poor  and  needy ;  while 


96  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE     >' 

benevolence  itself  is  both  for  poor  and  rich,  high  and 
lowly.  We  may  even  act  benevolently  towards  the 
dead,  attending  to  the  last  rites ;  this  is  called  mercy 
and  truth.  If  we  oblige  a  fellow  man  it  is  possible 
that  he  may,  in  the  course  of  time,  repay  the  same ; 
but  benevolence  to  the  dead  is  the  very  truth  of 
mercy ;  it  cannot  be  returned.  In  three  instances 
is  benevolence  superior  to  charity.  Charity  may  be 
practiced  by  means  of  money  ;  benevolence,  with  or 
without  money.  Charity  is  for  the  poor  alone ; 
benevolence,  either  for  the  poor  or  for  the  rich. 
Charity  we  can  display  but  to  the  living ;  benevo- 
lence, to  the  living  or  the  dead. 

"  *  After  the  Lord  your  God  ye  shall  walk.'  How 
is  it  possible  for  us  to  walk  after  God  ?  By  follow- 
ing His  attributes  and  examples.  The  Lord  clothed 
the  naked,  as  it  is  written, '  The  Lord  made  to  Adam 
and  his  wife  coats  of  skin  and  clothed  them.'  So 
we  must  do  the  same.  The  Lord  visited  the  sick. 
^  The  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  the  grove  of  Mamre ' 
(which  was  immediately  after  the  circumcision). 
So  we  must  do  the  same.  The  Lord  buried  the 
dead,  as  it  is  written,  '  He  (God)  buried  him.'  So 
must  we  do  the  same.  To  attend  to  the  dead, 
follow  to  its  last  resting  place  the  dust  of  our 
fellows,  is  an  act  of  benevolence  both  to  the 
living  and  the  dead ;  the  spirit  departed  and  the 
mourners. 

"  Kabbi  Judah  said,  '  If  a  person  weeps  and 
mourns  excessively  for  a  lost  relative,  his  grief  be- 
comes a  murmur  against  the  will  of  God,  and  he 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS         97 

may  soon  be  obliged  to  weep  for  another  death.' 
We  should  justify  the  decree  of  God,  and  exclaim 
with  Job,  'The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath 
taken ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.' 

'*  Hospitality  is  another  attribute  of  benevolence. 
It  is  said  of  Abraham,  *  and  he  planted  an  orchard.' 
This  was  not  an  orchard  as  we  understand  the 
word,  but  an  inn.  Abraham  opened  his  house  to 
passing  travellers,  and  entertained  them  in  a  hospi- 
table manner.  When  his  guests  thanked  him  for 
his  attention,  Abraham  replied,  '  Do  not  thank  me, 
for  I  am  not  the  owner  of  this  place  ;  thank  God, 
who  created  heaven  and  earth.'  In  this  manner 
he  made  the  name  of  God  known  among  the 
heathens.  Therefore  he  gave  us  an  example  of 
hospitality  which  we  should  follow,  as  it  is  written 
in  the  proverbs  of  the  fathers,  *  Let  thy  house  be 
open  wide  as  a  refuge,  and  let  the  poor  be  cordially 
received  within  thy  walls.'  When  they  enter  thy 
house,  receive  them  with  a  friendly  glance,  and  set 
immediately  before  them  thy  bread  and  salt.  Per- 
haps the  poor  man  may  be  hungry,  and  yet  hesitate 
to  ask  for  food.  Even  though  there  may  be  much 
to  trouble  thee,  thou  must  hide  thy  feelings  from 
thy  guests ;  comfort  them,  if  they  need  kindly 
words,  but  lay  not  thine  own  troubles  before  them. 
Eemember  how  kindly  Abraham  acted  towards 
the  three  angels  whom  he  thought  were  men  ;  how 
hospitably  he  treated  them,  saying,  '  My  lords,  if 
I  have  found  grace  in  your  eyes,  do  not  pass  away 
from  your  servant,'  etc.  (Gen.  xviii.  3).    Be  always 


98  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

friendly  to  thy  guests,  then  when  thou  shalt  call 
upon  the  Lord  He  will  answer  thee. 

"  God  knows  whether  the  hearts  which  seek  Him 
offer  Him  all  of  which  they  are  capable.  During 
the  existence  of  the  temple,  the  Lord  received  with 
equal  favor  the  meat  offering  of  a  handful  of  flour, 
and  the  sacrifice  of  a  bull.  So  now,  the  offering 
of  the  poor  is  just  as  acceptable  as  the  utmost 
which  the  rich  man  can  afford,  if  their  hearts  are 
equally  with  the  Lord. 

"  It  was  said  of  Rabbi  Tarphon,  that  though  a 
very  wealthy  man,  he  was  not  charitable  according 
to  his  means.  One  time  Eabbi  Akiba  said  to  him, 
*  Shall  I  invest  some  money  for  thee  in  real  estate, 
in  a  manner  which  will  be  very  profitable  ? '  Rabbi 
Tarphon  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  brought 
to  Rabbi  Akiba  four  thousand  denars  in  gold,  to  be 
so  applied.  Rabbi  Akiba  immediately  distributed 
the  same  among  the  poor.  Some  time  after  this, 
Rabbi  Tarphon  met  Rabbi  Akiba,  and  asked  him 
where  the  real  estate  which  he  had  bought  for  him 
was  situated.  Akiba  led  his  friend  to  the  college, 
and  showed  him  a  little  boy,  who  recited  for  them 
the  112th  Psalm.  When  he  reached  the  ninth 
verse,  *He  distributeth,  he  giveth  to  the  needy. 
His  righteousness  endureth  forever  ' : 

"  *  There,'  said  Akiba,  *  thy  property  is  with 
David,  the  king  of  Israel,  who  said,  "  He  distributeth, 
he  giveth  to  the  needy." ' 

" '  And  wherefore  hast  thou  done  this  ?  *  asked 
Tarphon. 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS         99 

"  *  Knowest  thou  not,'  answered  Kabbi  Akiba, 
*  how  IN^akdimon,  the  son  of  Guryon,  was  punished 
because  he  gave  not  according  to  his  means  ? ' 

"  *  Well,'  returned  the  other,  *  why  didst  thou 
not  tell  me  this  ?  Could  I  not  have  distributed  my 
means  without  thy  aid  ? ' 

** '  Kay,'  said  Akiba,  'it  is  a  greater  virtue  to 
cause  another  to  give  than  to  give  one's  self.' 

"  From  this  we  may  learn  that  he  who  is  not 
charitable  according  to  his  means  will  be  pun- 
ished. 

"  Kabbi  Jochanan,  the  son  of  Lakkai,  was  once 
riding  outside  of  Jerusalem,  and  his  pupils  had  fol- 
lowed him.  They  saw  a  poor  woman  collecting 
the  grain  which  dropped  from  the  mouths  and 
troughs  of  some  feeding  cattle,  belonging  to  Arabs. 
When  she  saw  the  Kabbi,  she  addressed  him  in 
these  brief  words,  '  Oh,  Kabbi,  assist  me.'  He  re- 
plied, *  My  daughter,  whose  daughter  art  thou  ?  ' 

"  *  I  am  the  daughter  of  Nakdimon,  the  son  of 
Guryon,'  she  answered. 

"  *  Why,  what  has  become  of  thy  father's  money  ? ' 
asked  the  Kabbi;  *the  amount  which  thou  didst 
receive  as  a  dowry  on  thy  wedding  day  ? ' 

"  *  Ah,'  she  replied,  *  is  there  not  a  saying  in 
Jerusalem,  The  salt  was  wanting  to  the  money  ? ' 
(Salt  is  used  to  preserve  meat ;  without  salt  the 
meat  rots.  Charity  is  to  money  even  as  salt  is  to 
meat.) 

"  *  And  thy  husband's  money,'  continued  the 
Babbi;  *  what  of  that  ? ' 


loo  THE  LAW  Ot  THE  TITHE  ' 

"^That  followed  the  other,'  she  answered;  *I 
have  lost  them  both.'  t>    v   ,; 

"  The  Rabbi  turned  to  his  scholars  and  said  : 

"  '  I  remember,  when  I  signed  her  marriage  con- 
tract, her  father  gave  her  as  a  dowry  one  million 
golden  denars,  and  her  husband  was  wealthy  in 
addition  thereto.' 

"  The  Rabbi  sympathized  with  the  woman,  helped 
her,  and  wept  for  her. 

"  '  Happy  are  ye,  oh  sons  of  Israel,'  he  said ;  '  as 
long  as  ye  perform  the  will  of  God  naught  can 
conquer  ye ;  but  if  ye  fail  to  fulfill  His  wishes, 
even  the  cattle  are  superior  to  ye.' 

"He  who  does  not  practice  charity  commits  a 
sin.     This  is  proven  in  the  life  of  Nachum. 

"  IS'achum,  whatever  occurred  to  him,  was  in  the 
habit  of  saying,  *  This  too  is  for  the  best.'  In  his 
old  age  he  became  blind;  both  of  his  hands  and 
both  of  his  legs  were  amputated,  and  the  trunk  of 
his  body  was  covered  with  a  sore  inflammation. 
His  scholars  said  to  him,  '  If  thou  art  a  righteous 
man,  why  art  thou  so  sorely  afflicted  ? ' 

"  *  All  this,'  he  answered,  '  I  brought  upon  my- 
self. Once  I  was  travelling  to  the  house  of  my 
father-in-law,  and  I  had  with  me  thirty  asses  laden 
with  provisions  and  all  manner  of  precious  articles. 
A  man  by  the  wayside  called  to  me,  "  Oh,  Rabbi, 
assist  me."  I  told  him  to  wait  until  I  unloaded  my 
asses.  When  that  time  arrived,  and  I  had  removed 
their  burdens  from  my  beasts,  I  found  to  my  sorrow 
that  the  poor  man  had  fallen  and  expired.    I  threw 


VOICES  OF  THE  HE-BlRWo'  Ji'AXHER&;  ;  '  lOt  • 

myself  upon  his  body,  and  wept  bitterly.  "Let 
these  eyes  which  had  no  pity  on  thee  be  blind,"  I 
said ;  "  these  hands  that  delayed  to  assist  thee,  let 
them  be  cut  off,  and  also  these  feet,  which  did  not 
run  to  aid  thee."  And  yet  I  was  not  satisfied  until 
I  prayed  that  my  whele  body  might  be  stricken 
with  a  sore  inflammation.  Rabbi  Akiba  said  to  me, 
"  Woe  to  me  that  I  find  thee  in  this  state."  But 
I  replied,  "  Happy  to  thee  that  thou  meetest  me  in 
this  state,  for  through  this  I  hope  that  my  iniquity 
may  be  forgiven,  and  all  my  righteous  deeds  still 
remain  recorded  to  gain  me  a  reward  of  life  eternal 
in  the  future  world."  ' 

"  Rabbi  Janay,  upon  seeing  a  man  bestowing  alms 
in  a  public  place,  said,  *  Thou  hadst  better  not  have 
given  at  all,  than  to  have  bestowed  alms  so  openly 
and  put  the  poor  man  to  shame.' 

"  One  should  rather  be  thrown  into  a  fiery  fur- 
nace than  be  the  means  of  bringing  another  to 
public  shame. 

"The  Rabbis  particularly  insist  that  we  are  not 
to  confine  the  exercise  of  charity  to  our  own  people, 
for  the  law  of  Moses  inculcates  kindness  and  hospi- 
tality towards  the  stranger  within  our  gates.  Even 
the  animals  are  especially  remembered  in  his  most 
merciful  code. 

"  Rabbi  Judah  said,  *  N'o  one  should  sit  down  to 
his  own  meals,  until  seeing  that  all  the  animals  de- 
pendent upon  his  care  are  provided  for.' 

"  Rabbi  Jochanan  has  said  that  it  is  as  pleasing 
in  God's  sight  if  we  are  kind  and  hospitable  to 


ld2*?.J^Vl3IE.J/AW.JDF  THE  TITHE 

strangers,  as  if  we  rise  up  early  to  study  His  law ; 
because  the  former  is  in  fact  putting  His  law  into 
practice.  He  also  said,  *  He  who  is  active  in  kind- 
ness towards  His  fellows  is  forgiven  his  sins.' 

"  Both  this  Eabbi  and  Abba  say  it  is  better  to 
lend  to  the  poor  than  to  give  to  them,  for  it  pre- 
vents them  from  feeling  ashamed  of  their  poverty, 
and  is  really  a  more  charitable  manner  of  aiding 
them.  The  Rabbis  have  always  taught  that  kind- 
ness is  more  than  the  mere  almsgiving  of  charity, 
for  it  includes  pleasant  words  with  the  more  sub- 
stantial help." 

The  above  quotations  from  the  Talmud  show : 

1.  The  high  valuation  put  upon  education  by 
the  Jews,  even  before  the  days  of  Christ. 

2.  The  ethics  and  peculiar  genius  of  the  Hebrew 
mind ;  yet  it  would  take  a  volume  to  set  forth  even 
a  tithe  of  the  pearls  of  thought  that  are  found  in 
the  Talmud. 

3.  There  is  shown  also  what  concerns  most  di- 
rectly the  question  before  us,  in  that  one  whole 
section  of  the  voluminous  Babylonian  Talmud  is 
required  to  treat  of  the  minutiae  in  regard  to  The 
Law  of  the  Tithe.  If  there  were  time  and  space  to 
command,  large  and  copious  extracts  might  be 
given  from  this  portion  of  a  book  that  is  at  the 
same  time  the  wonder  of  learned  jurists,  able  his- 
torians, able  psychologists,  and  book-making  littera- 
teurSf  as  well  as  those  who  are  skilled  in  the  sci- 
ences. This  "  omnium  gatherum  "  of  the  Hebrew 
ages,  this   "  thesaurus "  of  productions  from   the 


VOICES  OF  THE  HEBREW  FATHERS       103 

minds  of  generations  of  profound  thinkers,  will  yet 
be  explored,  and  explored  thoroughly,  for  the  light 
it  will  throw,  not  only  on  The  Law  of  the  Tithe, 
but  upon  all  else  that  God  in  His  Word  has  revealed, 
to  provoke  the  astonishment  and  the  love  towards 
Him  of  mortal  men. 


YI 

THE  VOICES  OP  THE  FATHERS  OP  THE 
CHRISTIAN  CHURCH 

IHAYE  thought  that  all  that  the  great  "  Apos- 
tle to  the  Gentiles  "  has  to  say  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  giving  may  be  made  more  interesting 
by  weaving  it  into  one  continuous  tissue  of  dis- 
course, which  in  the  present  instance  I  have  been 
pleased  to  entitle : 

PAUL  THE  apostle's   DISCOUESE  ON  GIVING 

"  Now  concerning  the  collection  for  the  saints,  as 
I  have  given  order  to  the  churches  of  Galatia,  even 
so  do  ye.  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every 
one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  God  hath  pros- 
pered him,  that  there  be  no  gatherings  when  I  come. 
And  when  I  come,  whomsoever  ye  shall  approve 
by  your  letters,  them  will  I  send  to  bring  your 
liberality  unto  Jerusalem."  * 

"For  it  hath  pleased  them  of  Macedonia  and 
Achaia  to  make  a  certain  contribution  for  the  poor 
saints  which  are  at  Jerusalem.  It  hath  pleased 
them  verily ;  and  their  debtors  they  are.  For  if 
the  Gentiles  have  been  made  partakers  of  their 
spiritual  things,  their  duty  is  also  to  minister  to 
them  in  carnal  things."  ^ 

"  And  when  James,  Cephas  and  John,  who  seemed 

>  1  Cor.  xvi,  1-3.  » Rom.  xv.  26-27. 

104 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  105 

to  be  pillars,  perceived  the  grace  which  was  given 
unto  me,  they  gave  me  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship ;  that  we  should  go  unto  the  heathen,  and  they 
unto  the  circumcision.  Only  they  would  that  we 
should  remember  the  poor ;  the  same  which  I  also 
was  forward  to  do."  * 

"  For  as  touching  the  ministering  to  the  saints,  it 
is  superfluous  for  me  to  write  to  you  :  for  I  know 
the  forwardness  of  your  mind  for  which  I  boast  of 
you  to  them  of  Macedonia,  that  Achaia  was  ready 
a  year  ago ;  and  your  zeal  hath  provoked  very 
many.  Yet  I  have  sent  the  brethren,  lest  our  boast- 
ing of  you  should  be  in  vain  in  this  behalf ;  that, 
as  I  said,  ye  may  be  ready :  lest  haply  if  they  of 
Macedonia  come  with  me,  and  find  you  unprepared, 
we  (that  we  say  not,  ye)  should  be  ashamed  in  this 
same  confident  boasting.  Therefore  I  thought  it 
necessary  to  exhort  the  brethren  that  they  should 
go  before  unto  you,  and  make  up  beforehand  your 
bounty,  whereof  ye  had  notice  before,  that  some 
might  be  ready  as  a  matter  of  bounty,  and  not  as 
of  covetousness.  But  this  I  say.  He  that  soweth 
sparingly  shall  reap  also  sparingly ;  and  he  which 
soweth  bountifully  shall  reap  also  bountifully. 
Every  man  accordingly  as  he  purposeth  in  his 
heart,  so  let  him  give ;  not  grudgingly  or  of  ne- 
cessity: for  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver.  And 
God  is  able  to  make  all  grace  abound  towards  you ; 
that  ye,  always  having  all  sufficiency  in  all  things, 
may  abound  to  every  good  work."  ^ 

» Gal.  ii,  9-10,  » 2  Qor,  ix.  1-8. 


106  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

"  But  I  rejoiced  in  the  Lord  greatly  that  now  at 
last  your  care  of  me  hath  flourished  again ; 
wherein  ye  were  also  careful,  but  ye  lacked  oppor- 
tunity. Not  that  I  speak  in  respect  of  want :  for 
I  have  learned,  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  therewith 
to  be  content.  I  know  both  how  to  be  abased,  and 
how  to  abound :  everywhere,  and  in  all  things,  I 
am  instructed,  both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry, 
both  to  abound  and  to  suffer  need.  I  can  do  all 
things  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  me. 
!N'otwithstanding,  ye  have  well  done  that  ye  did 
communicate  with  my  affliction.  Now  ye  Philip- 
pians  know  also,  that  in  the  beginning  of  the 
Gospel,  when  I  departed  for  Macedonia,  no  church 
communicated  with  me  as  concerning  giving  and 
receiving  but  ye  only.  For  even  in  Thessalonica 
ye  sent  once  and  again  unto  my  necessities.  Not 
because  I  desire  a  gift ;  but  I  desire  fruit  that  ye 
may  abound  to  your  account.  But  I  have  all  and 
abound ;  for  I  am  full,  having  received  of  Epaph- 
roditus  the  things  which  were  sent  from  you,  an 
odor  of  sweet  smell,  a  sacrifice  acceptable,  well 
pleasing  to  God."  * 

"Now  consider  how  great  this  man  was,  unto 
whom  even  the  patriarch  Abraham  gave  the  tenth 
of  the  spoils.  And  verily  they  that  are  of  the  sons 
of  Levi,  who  receive  the  office  of  the  priesthood, 
have  a  commandment  to  take  tithes  of  the  people 
according  to  the  law,  that  is,  of  their  brethren, 
though  they  come  out  of  the  loins  of  Abraham: 
» PhU,  iv,  10-18, 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH    101 

but  he  whose  descent  is  not  counted  from  them, 
received  tithes  of  Abraham,  and  blessed  him  that 
had  the  promises.  And  without  all  contradiction 
the  less  is  blessed  of  the  better.  And  here  men 
that  die  receive  tithes ;  but  there  he  receiveth  them 
of  whom  it  is  witnessed  that  he  liveth.  And  as  I 
may  so  say,  Levi  also,  who  receiveth  tithes,  paid 
tithes  in  Abraham."  * 

We  have  above,  in  language  that  cannot  be  mis- 
understood, the  deliverances  of  the  Apostle  to  the 
Gentiles,  regarding  the  matter  of  the  payment  of 
tithes,  and  declaring  also  as  we  have  noticed  in  an- 
other chapter  that  Christ,  as  fulfilling  in  Himself 
all  of  the  priesthood  and  all  of  the  priestly  office, 
declares,  admitting  that  the  Aaronic  priesthood  has 
passed  away,  that  Jesus  in  the  skies,  as  our  High 
Priest,  receiveth  tithes  and  so  continues  in  Himself 
the  priestly  order.  This  great  thought  must  be 
more  fully  recognized  by  the  Church  of  to-day,  in 
order  to  lead  the  laity  to  a  higher  conception  of 
duty  than  has  obtained  hitherto.  If,  now,  we  com- 
mence to  search  for  the  views  of  men  who  entered 
the  pale  of  the  Church  after  the  close  of  PauPs 
life  and  ministry,  the  men  who  caught  the  mantle 
of  service,  like  Elisha  from  the  shoulders  of  the 
Elijah  who  passed  to  the  skies  in  martyrdom  at 
Kome,  we  shall  find  among  them  a  singular  unanim- 
ity of  opinion  regarding  The  Law  of  the  Tithe. 

Clement,  a.  d.  30-100,  mentioned  in  Philip- 
pians  iv.  3,  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Corinthians,  some- 
1  Heb.  vii.  4-9. 


108  THE  LAW  OF  THE,  TITHE 

where  between  the  years  68  and  97  A.  D.,  in  which 
he  says :  "  These  things  therefore  being  manifest 
to  us,  and  since  we  look  into  the  depths  of  the 
diyine  knowledge,  it  behooves  us  to  do  all  things 
in  order,  which  the  Lord  has  commanded  us  to  per- 
form at  stated  times.  He  has  enjoined  offerings 
and  service  to  be  performed,  and  that  not  thought- 
lessly or  irregularly,  but  at  the  appointed  times  and 
hours.  Where  and  by  whom  He  desires  these 
things  to  be  done.  He  Himself  has  fixed  by  His  own 
supreme  will,  in  order  that  all  things,  being  piously 
done  according  to  His  good  pleasure,  may  be  ac- 
ceptable unto  Him.  Those,  therefore,  who  present 
their  offerings  at  the  appointed  times,  are  accepted 
and  blessed ;  for  inasmuch  as  they  follow  the  laws  of 
the  Lord,  they  sin  not.  For  ffis  own  peculiar  services 
are  assigned  to  the  high  priest,  and  their  own  proper 
place  is  prescribed  to  the  priests,  and  their  own  special 
ministrations  devolve  on  the  Levites.  The  layman 
is  bound  by  the  laws  that  pertain  to  laymen. 

"  Let  every  one  of  you,  brethren,  give  thanks  to 
God  in  his  own  order,  living  in  all  good  con- 
science, with  becoming  gravity,  and  not  going 
beyond  the  rule  of  the  ministry  prescribed  to  him. 
Not  in  every  place,  brethren,  are  the  daily  sacri- 
fi.ces  offered,  or  the  peace  offerings,  or  the  sin  offer- 
ings, or  the  trespass  offerings,  but  in  Jerusalem 
only.  And  even  there,  they  are  not  offered  in  any 
place,  but  only  at  the  altar  before  the  temple,  that 
which  is  offered  being  first  carefully  examined  by 
the  high  priest  and'the  ministers  already  mentioned. 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH    109 

Those,  therefore,  who  do  anything  beyond  what  is 
agreeable  to  His  will,  are  punished  with  death. 
Ye  see,  brethren,  that  the  greater  the  knowledge 
that  has  been  vouchsafed  to  us,  the  greater  also  is 
the  danger  to  which  we  are  exposed."  * 

From  "  The  Teaching  of  the  Apostles  "  I  have 
excerpted  a  passage,  translated  from  the  original 
Greek  printed  text  of  the  Bryennios  Manuscript  of 
Constantinople.  The  evidence  dates  back  to  about 
120  A.  D.,  since  the  document  in  question  is  con- 
ceded to  be  of  that  age : 

"But  every  true  prophet  that  willeth  to  abide 
among  you  is  worthy  of  his  support.  So  also  a  true 
teacher  is  himself  worthy,  as  the  workman,  of  his 
support.  Every  first  fruit,  therefore,  of  the  products 
of  the  wine-press  and  threshing  floor,  of  oxen  and 
of  sheep,  thou  shalt  take  and  give  to  the  prophets, 
for  they  are  your  high  priests.  But  if  ye  have  not 
a  prophet,  give  it  to  the  poor.  If  thou  makest  a 
batch  of  dough,  take  the  first  fruit  and  give  ac- 
cording to  the  commandment.  So  also,  when  thou 
openest  a  jar  of  wine  or  oil,  take  the  first  fruit  and 
give  it  to  the  prophets  ;  and  of  money  (silver)  and 
clothing,  and  every  possession,  take  the  first  fruits, 
as  it  may  seem  good  to  thee,  and  give  according  to 
the  commandment."  ^ 

JUSTIN  MARTYR,  A.  D.  110-165 

"  We,  who  valued  above  all  things  the  acquisition 

*  "The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nioene  Fathers,"   Vol, 
I,  p.  16.   Vide  also  Stewart's  "  The  Tithe." 
•i&id.,  Vol.  Vn,  p.  381. 


110  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

of  wealth  and  possessions,  now  bring  what  we  have 
into  a  common  stock,  and  communicate  to  every- 
one in  need."  .  .  .  "  And  they  who  are  well  to 
do,  and  willing,  give  what  each  thinks  fit ;  and 
what  is  collected  is  deposited  with  the  president, 
who  succors  the  orphans  and  widows,  and  those 
who,  through  sickness  or  any  other  cause,  are 
in  want,  and  those  who  are  in  bonds,  and  the 
strangers  sojourning  among  us,  and  in  a  word  takes 
care  of  all  who  are  in  need."  * 

lEEN^US,  A.  D.  120-202 
His  life  opened  about  the  time  of  the  composition 
of  "  The  Teaching  of  the  Apostles " ;  and  he 
describes  and  points  out  the  relations  of  the  law 
and  the  Gospels  in  these  words :  "  As  in  the  law, 
therefore,  and  in  the  Gospel,  the  first  and  greatest 
commandment  is,  to  love  the  Lord  God  with  the 
whole  heart,  and  then  there  follows  a  command- 
ment like  to  it,  to  love  one's  neighbor  as  one's  self ; 
the  author  of  the  law  and  the  Gospel  is  shown  to 
be  one  and  the  same.  For  the  precepts  of  an 
absolutely  open,  perfect  life,  since  they  are  the  same 
in  each  Testament,  have  pointed  out  the  same  God, 
who  certainly  has  promulgated  particular  laws 
adapted  for  each ;  but  the  more  prominent  and  the 
greatest,  without  which  salvation  cannot  be  at- 
tained. He  has  exhorted  us  to  observe  the  same  in 
both.    And  that  the  Lord  did  not  abrogate  the 

*  '*The  Ante-Nicene,  Nioene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,"  Vol.  I, 
p.  167. 


VOICES  OF  THE  I'ATHERS  0^  THE  CHURCH    111 

natural  (precepts)  of  the  law,  by  which  man  is  jus- 
tified, which  also  those  who  are  justified  by  faith, 
and  who  pleased  God,  did  observe  previous  to  the 
giving  of  the  law,  but  that  He  extended  and  filled 
them  is  shown  from  His  words."  ' 

"  And  for  this  reason  did  the  Lord,  instead  of 
that  Hhou  shalt  not  commit  adultery,'  forbid  even 
concupiscence ;  and  instead  of  that  which  runs  thus, 
*  Thou  shalt  not  kill,'  He  prohibited  anger ;  and  in- 
stead of  the  law  enjoining  the  giving  of  tithes,  to 
share  all  our  possessions  with  the  poor ;  and  not  to 
love  our  neighbors  only,  but  even  our  enemies ;  and 
not  merely  to  be  liberal  givers  and  bestowers  but 
even  that  we  should  present  a  gratuitous  gift  to 
those  who  take  away  our  goods."  ..."  JS;  ow 
all  these,  as  I  have  already  observed,  were  not  the 
injunctions  of  one  doing  away  with  the  law,  but  of 
one  fulfilling,  extending  and  widening  it  among  us ; 
just  as  if  one  should  say  that  the  more  extensive 
operation  of  liberty  implies  that  a  more  complete 
subjection  and  affection  towards  our  liberator  has 
been  implanted  within  us."  .  .  .  "And  the 
class  of  oblations  in  general  has  not  been  set  aside ; 
for  there  were  both  oblations  there  (among  the 
Jews)  and  there  are  oblations  here  (among  the 
Christians).  Sacrifices  there  were  among  the  peo- 
ple ;  sacrifices  there  are,  too,  in  the  Church ;  but  the 
species  alone  has  been  changed,  inasmuch  as  the 
offering  is  now  made,  not  by  slaves,  but  by  freemen. 

* "  The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers, "  Vol, 
I,  pp.  476-478. 


112  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

For  the  Lord  is  one  and  the  same ;  but  the  character 
of  a  servile  oblation  is  peculiar,  as  also  that  of  free- 
men, in  order  that,  by  the  very  oblations,  the  indica- 
tion of  liberty  may  be  set  forth.  For  with  Him 
there  is  nothing  purposeless,  nor  without  significa- 
tion, nor  without  design.  And  for  this  reason  they 
(the  Jews)  had  indeed  the  tithes  of  their  goods 
consecrated  to  Him,  but  those  who  have  received 
liberty  set  aside  all  their  possessions  for  the  Lord's 
purposes,  bestowing  joyfully  and  freely  not  the  less 
valuable  portions  of  their  property,  since  they  have 
the  hope  of  better  things ;  as  that  poor  widow 
acted  who  cast  all  her  living  into  the  treasury  of 
God." ' 

CLEMENT  OF  ALEXANDEIA,  A.  D.  153-217 

"  Besides,  the  tithes  of  the  fruits  and  of  the 
flocks  taught  both  piety  towards  the  deity,  and  not 
covetously  to  grasp  everything,  but  to  communicate 
gifts  of  kindness  to  one's  neighbors.  For  it  was 
from  these,  I  reckon,  and  from  the  first  fruits  that 
the  priests  were  maintained.  We  now  therefore 
understand  that  we  are  instructed  in  piety,  and  in 
liberality,  and  in  justice,  and  in  humanity,  by  the 
law."^ 

TEBTULLIAN,  A.  D.  145-220 

"Though  we  have  our  treasure  chest,  it  is  not 

^"The  Ante-Nioene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,"  Vol. 
I,  pp.  484-485. 
» im,t  Vol.  n,  p.  366. 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  113 

made  up  of  purchase  money,  as  of  a  religion  that 
has  its  price.  On  the  monthly  day  as  he  likes  each 
puts  in  a  small  donation ;  but  only  if  it  be  his 
pleasure,  and  only  if  he  be  able :  for  there  is  no 
compulsion ;  all  is  voluntary.  These  gifts  are,  as 
it  were,  piety's  deposit  fund.  For  they  are  not 
taken  thence  and  spent  on  feasts,  and  drinking 
bouts,  and  eating  houses,  but  to  support  and  bury 
poor  people,  to  supply  the  wants  of  boys  and  girls 
destitute  of  means  and  parents,  and  of  old  persons 
confined  now  to  the  house;  such,  too,  as  have 
suffered  shipwreck ;  and  if  there  happen  to  be  any 
in  the  mines,  or  banished  to  the  islands,^  or  shut 
up  in  prisons,  for  nothing  but  their  fidelity  to  the 
cause  of  God's  Church,  they  become  the  nurslings 
of  their  confession.  But  it  is  mainly  the  deeds 
of  a  love  so  noble  that  leads  many  to  put  a  brand 
upon  us.  See,  they  say,  how  they  love  one  another, 
for  themselves  are  animated  by  mutual  hatred ; 
how  they  are  ready  even  to  die  for  one  another."  * 
To  the  charge  of  wickedness  and  extravagance 
this  reply  is  made :  "  The  Salii  cannot  have  their 
feasts  without  going  into  debt ;  you  must  get  the 
accountants  to  tell  you  what  the  tenths  of  Hercules 
and  the  sacrificial  banquets  cost."  * 

ORiGEisr,  A.  D.  185-254 
"  Celsus  would  also  have  us  to  offer  first  fruits 
to  demons.    But  we  would  offer  them  to  Him 

*  ''The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,"  Vol. 
HI,  pp.  46-47. 


114  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Who  said,  *  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  grass,  the 
herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  fruit  tree  yielding  fruit 
after  his  kind,  whose  seed  is  in  itself  upon  the 
earth.'  And  to  Him  to  Whom  we  offer  first 
fruits  we  also  send  up  our  prayers."  ..."  How 
then  is  our  righteousness  abounding  more  than  that 
of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  if  they  dare  not  taste 
the  fruits  of  their  land  before  they  offer  first  fruits 
to  the  priests,  and  tithes  are  separated  for  the 
Levites ;  whilst  I,  doing  none  of  these  things,  so 
misuse  the  fruit  of  the  earth  that  the  priest  knows 
nothing  of  them,  the  Levite  is  ignorant  of  them, 
the  divine  altar  does  not  perceive  them."  * 

CYPEIAN,  A.  D.  200-258 
"But  with  us  unanimity  is  diminished  in  pro- 
portion as  liberality  of  working  is  decayed.  Then 
they  used  to  give  for  sale  houses  and  estates ;  and 
that  they  might  lay  up  for  themselves  treasures  in 
heaven,  presented  to  the  apostles  the  price  of  them, 
to  be  distributed  for  the  use  of  the  poor.  But  now 
we  do  not  even  give  the  tenths  from  our  patrimony ; 
and  while  our  Lord  bids  us  sell  we  rather  buy  and 
increase  our  store.  Thus  has  the  vigor  of  faith 
dwindled  away  among  us ;  thus  has  the  strength 
of  believers  grown  weak."'' 

THE  APOSTOLIC  CONSTITUTIONS,  A.  D.  300 

{Excerpted  from  the  first  six  hooks) 
"  Of  the  first  fruits  and  tithes,  and  after  what 

***The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post- Nicene  Fathers,"  Vol. 
IV,  p.  652.  « Ibid.,  Vol.  V,  p.  429. 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH    115 

manner  the  Bishop  is  himself  to  partake  of  them, 
or  distribute  them  to  others. 

"  Let  him  use  those  tenths  and  first  fruits,  which 
are  given  according  to  the  command  of  God,  as  a 
man  of  God ;  as  also  let  him  dispense  in  a  right 
manner  the  free  will  offerings,  which  are  brought 
in  on  account  of  the  poor,  to  the  orphans,  the 
widows,  the  afflicted,  and  strangers  in  distress,  as 
having  that  God  for  the  examiner  of  his  accounts, 
who  has  committed  the  disposition  to  him.  .  .  . 
The  Levites  who  attended  upon  the  tabernacle 
partook  of  those  things  that  were  offered  to  God 
by  all  the  people.  .  .  .  You,  therefore,  O  bish- 
ops, are  to  your  people  priests  and  Levites,  min- 
istering to  the  holy  tabernacle,  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church.  .  .  .  As,  therefore,  you  bear  the 
weight,  so  have  you  a  right  to  partake  of  the 
fruits  before  others,  and  to  impart  to  those  who 
are  in  want.  .  .  .  For  those  who  attend  upon 
the  Church  ought  to  be  maintained  by  the  Church, 
as  being  priests,  Levites,  presidents,  and  ministers 
of  God." ' 

"Now  you  ought  to  know,  that  although  the 
Lord  has  delivered  you  from  the  additional  bonds, 
and  has  brought  you  out  of  them  to  your  refresh- 
ment, and  does  not  permit  you  to  sacrifice  irrational 
creatures  for  sin-offerings,  and  purifications,  and 
scapegoats,  and  continual  washings  and  sprinklings, 
yet  He  has  nowhere  freed  you  from  those  oblations 

*  "The  Ante-Nicene,  Nioene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,"  VoL 
Vn,  p.  408. 


116  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

which  you  owe  to  the  priests,  nor  from  doing  good 
to  the  poor."  * 

JEROME,  A.  D.  345-420 
{See  his  Letter  to  JSfepotian) 

"  I,  if  I  am  the  portion  of  the  Lord,  and  the  line 
of  His  heritage,  receive  no  portion  among  the  re- 
maining tribes ;  but,  like  the  priest  and  the  Levite, 
I  live  on  the  tithe,  and  serving  the  altar,  am  sup- 
ported by  its  offerings.  Having  food  and  raiment, 
I  shall  be  content  with  these,  and  as  a  disciple  of 
the  Cross,  shall  share  its  poverty."^ 

"What  we  have  said  of  tithes  and  first  fruits 
which  of  old  used  to  be  given  by  the  people  to  the 
priests  and  Levites,  understand  also  in  the  case  of 
the  people  of  the  Church,  to  whom  it  has  been 
commanded  to  sell  all  that  they  have  and  give  to 
the  poor  and  follow  the  Lord  and  Saviour.  .  .  . 
If  we  are  unwilling  to  do  this,  at  least  let  us 
imitate  the  rudimentary  teachings  of  the  Jews  so 
as  to  give  a  part  of  the  whole  to  the  poor  and  pay 
the  priests  and  Levites  due  honor.  If  any  one 
shall  not  do  this  he  is  convicted  of  defrauding  and 
cheating  God." ' 

AMBROSE  OF  MILAN,  A.  D.  340-397 

"God  has  reserved  the  tenth  part  to  Himself, 
and  therefore  it  is  not  lawful  for  a  man  to  retain 

^  "The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,"  Vol. 
VII,  p.  413. 
'  Ihid.,  Letter  to  Nepotian,  Vol.  VI,  Second  Seriea. 
•Smith  and  Cheatham's  Diet.,  quoting  Jerome  on  Mai.  iii.  10. 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  117 

what  God  had  reserved  for  Himself.  To  thee 
He  has  given  nine  parts,  for  Himself  He  has  re- 
served the  tenth  part,  and  if  thou  shalt  not  give  to 
God  the  tenth  part,  God  will  take  from  thee  the 
nine  parts."  * 

"  A  good  Christian  pays  tithes  yearly  to  be  given 
to  the  poor."  ^ 

AUGUSTINE,  A.  D.  340-397 

"  Our  ancestors  used  to  abound  in  wealth  of  every 
kind  for  this  very  reason  that  they  used  to  give 
tithes,  and  pay  the  tax  to  Caesar.  Now  on  the  con- 
trary, because  devotion  to  God  has  ceased,  the  drain 
of  the  treasury  has  increased.  We  have  been  un- 
willing to  share  the  tithes  with  God,  now  the  whole 
is  taken  away."  ^ 

"  Let  us  give  a  certain  portion  of  it.  What  por- 
tion ?  A  tenth  ?  The  scribes  and  Pharisees  give 
tithes  for  whom  Christ  had  not  yet  shed  His  blood. 
The  scribes  and  Pharisees  give  tithes ;  lest  haply 
thou  shouldst  think  thou  art  doing  any  great  thing 
in  breaking  thy  bread  to  the  poor,  and  this  is 
scarcely  a  thousandth  part  of  thy  means.  And  yet 
I  am  not  finding  fault  with  this ;  do  even  this.  So 
hungry  and  thirsty  am  I,  that  I  am  glad  even  of 
these  crumbs.  But  yet  I  cannot  keep  back  what 
He  who  died  for  us  said  whilst  He  was  alive,  '  Ex- 

*  Smith  and  Cheatham's  Diet.,  qnoting  Ambrose,  Sermon  34. 
'  Sermon  on  Ascension  Day. 

•  Hom.  48.    Smith  and  Cheatham. 


118  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

cept  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'  The  scribes 
and  Pharisees  gave  the  tenth.  How  is  it  with  you  ? 
Ask  yourselves.  Consider  what  you  spend  on 
mercy,  what  you  reserve  for  luxury."  * 

On  Luke  xi.  41,  he  says :  "  *  Give  alms,  and  behold 
all  things  are  clean  unto  you.'  When  He  had 
spoken  thus,  doubtless  they  thought  that  they  did 
give  alms.  And  how  did  they  give  them  ?  They 
tithed  all  that  they  had,  they  took  away  a  tenth  of 
all  their  produce,  and  gave  it.  It  is  no  easy  mat- 
ter to  find  a  Christian  who  doth  as  much.  .  .  . 
Christ  said  unto  them,  '  I  know  that  ye  do  this,  ye 
tithe  mint  and  anise,  cummin  and  rue,  but  I  am 
speaking  of  other  alms :  ye  despise  judgment  and 
charity.'  What  '  is  in  judgment '  ?  Look  back 
and  discover  thyself.  And  what  is  charity  ?  *  Love 
the  Lord  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  mind ;  love  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self : '  and  thou  hast  done  alms  first  to  thine  own 
soul,  tithing  thy  conscience.  Whereas,  if  thou 
neglect  this  alms,  give  what  thou  wilt ;  reserve  of 
thy  goods  not  a  tenth,  but  a  half  ;  give  nine  parts, 
and  leave  but  one  for  thine  own  self :  thou  doest 
nothing,  when  thou  dost  not  alms  to  thine  own 
soul  and  art  poor  thyself."  ^ 

"  Cut  off  some  of  thy  income ;  a  tenth,  if  thou 
choosest,  though  that  is  little.     For  it  is  said  that 

1  "The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nioene  Fathers,"  VoL 
VI,  First  Series  as  above,  p.  367.  *Ibid„  pp.  435-436. 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  119 

the  Pharisees  gave  a  tenth.  ...  He  whose 
righteousness  thou  oughtest  to  exceed  giveth  a 
tenth  :  thou  givest  not  even  a  thousandth.  How 
wilt  thou  surpass  him'whom  thou  matchest  not  ?  "  * 

CHRYSOSTOM,  A.  D.  347-407 
"They  gave  tithes,  and  tithes  upon  tithes  for 
orphans,  widows  and  strangers  ;  whereas  some  one 
was  saying  to  me  in  astonishment  at  another,  *  Why, 
such  a  one  gives  tithes.'  What  a  load  of  disgrace 
does  this  expression  imply,  since  what  was  not  a 
matter  of  wonder  with  the  Jews  has  come  to  be  so 
in  the  case  of  the  Christians  ?  If  there  was  danger 
then  in  omitting  tithes,  think  how  great  it  must  be 
now."  ^ 
The  following  is  his  comment  on  Matthew  v.  20 : 
"  So  that,  though  thou  give  alms,  but  not  more 
than  they,  thou  shalt  not  enter  in.  And  how  much 
did  they  bestow  in  alms  ?  one  may  ask.  For  this 
very  thing,  I  am  minded  to  say  now,  that  they  who 
do  not  give  may  be  roused  to  give,  and  they  that 
give  may  not  pride  themselves,  but  may  make  in- 
crease of  their  gifts.  What  then  did  they  give  ? 
A  tenth  of  all  their  possessions,  and  again  another 
tenth,  and  after  this  a  third ;  so  that  they  almost 
gave  away  the  third  part,  for  three-tenths  put  to- 
gether make  up  this.  And  together  with  these, 
first  fruits  and  first  born,  and  other  things  besides, 

^"The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nioene  Fathers,"  Vol. 
VIII,  p.  668. 
» Ibid.,  Vol.  Xni,  p.  69. 


120  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

as,  for  instance,  the  offerings  for  sins,  those  for 
purification,  those  at  feasts,  those  in  the  jubilee, 
those  by  the  cancelling  of  debts,  and  the  dismissal 
of  servants,  and  the  lendings  that  were  clear  of 
usury.  But  if  he  who  gave  the  third  part  of  his 
goods,  or  rather  the  half  (for  those  being  put  to- 
gether with  these  are  the  half),  if  he  who  is  giving 
the  half,  achieves  no  great  thing,  he  who  does  not 
bestow  so  much  as  the  tenth,  of  what  shall  he  be 
worthy  ?  With  reason  He  said,  *  There  are  few 
that  be  saved.'  For  nothing  else  do  I  hear  you 
saying  everywhere,  but  such  words  as  these :  *^'Such 
a  one  has  bought  so  many  acres  of  land ;  such  a  one 
is  rich,  he  is  building.'  Why  dost  thou  stare,  O 
man,  at  what  is  without  ?  Why  dost  thou  look  to 
others  ?  If  thou  art  minded  to  look  to  others,  look 
to  them  that  do  their  duty,  to  them  that  approve 
themselves,  to  them  that  carefully  fulfill  the  law, 
not  to  those  that  have  become  offenders  and  are  in 
dishonor." ' 

CASSIAN,  A.  D.      .      .      .     DIED  CIECA  432 

His  remark  is  that  certain  of  the  young  men 
were  "  eager  to  offer  tithes  and  first  fruits  of  their 
substance  "  to  Abbott  John.  This  is  said  to  be  the 
first  instance  on  record  of  payment  of  tithes  to  a 
monastery.*  Abbott  John  thanks  them  for  their 
gifts,  points  out  the  reward  promised  in  Proverbs 

*"The  Ante-Nioene,  Nioene  and  Post-Nioene  Fathers, '^Vol. 
X,  pp.  395-396. 
•  Stewart, 


VOICES  OF  THE  FATHERS  OF  THE  CHURCH    121 

iii.  9-10,  speaks  of  tithes  and  offerings  as  given  by 
the  Lord's  commands,  and  gives  Abraham,  David, 
and  other  saints  as  examples  of  those  who  surpassed 
the  law's  requirements,  arguing  that  we  who  are 
under  the  Gospel  should  sell  all  and  give  to  the 
poor.  "  If  even  those  who,  faithfully  offering  tithes 
of  their  fruits,  are  obedient  to  the  more  ancient 
precepts  of  the  Lord,  cannot  yet  climb  the  heights 
of  the  Gospel,  you  can  see  very  clearly  how  far 
short  of  it  those  fall  who  do  not  even  do  this." 
While  he  holds  that  the  law  is  no  longer  exacted, 
he  says,  "  But  when  the  multitude  of  believers 
began  day  by  day  to  decline  from  that  apostolic 
fervor,  and  to  look  after  their  own  wealth,  and  not 
to  portion  it  out  for  the  good  of  all  the  faithful  in 
accordance  with  the  arrangement  of  the  apostles, 
but  having  their  eye  to  their  own  private  expenses, 
tried  not  only  to  keep  it,  but  actually  to  increase  it, 
not  content  with  following  the  example  of  Ananias 
and  Sapphira,  then  it  seems  good  to  all  the  priests 
that  men  who  were  hampered  by  world  care,  and 
almost  ignorant,  if  I  may  say  so,  of  abstinence  and 
contrition,  should  be  recalled  to  the  pious  duty  by  a 
fast  canonically  enjoined,  and  be  constrained  by  the 
necessity  of  paying  legal  tithes,  as  this  certainly 
would  be  good  for  the  weak  brethren  and  could 
not  do  any  harm  to  the  perfect  who  were  living 
under  the  grace  of  the  Gospel  and  by  their  volun- 
tary devotion  going  beyond  the  law."  * 

*  "The  Ante-Nicene,  Nicene  and  Post-Nicene  Fathers,"  Vol, 
XI,  Second  Series,  pp.  503,  515. 


122  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Thus  we  see  what  singular  unanimity  of  opinion 
there  was  among  the  ancient  Fathers  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  whose  era  is  an  extent  of  time  from  the 
middle  of  the  first  to  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century, 
A.  D. ;  and  their  testimony  is  valuable  as  establish- 
ing the  apostolic  practice  of  the  earliest  Christian 
centuries,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  there  were  in 
operation  under  The  Law  of  the  Tithe  three  recog- 
nized tenths, — not  one;  and  leave  us  in  wonder 
that  the  justice  of  the  claim  of  the  divine  com- 
mandment regarding  the  tithe,  unquestioned  by 
these  great  men,  should  ever  have  come  to  be  ques- 
tioned at  all,  in  any  subsequent  period  of  ecclesi- 
astical history. 


VII 

THE  VOICES  OP  MEN  EMINENT  IN  THE 
MODEEN  CHUKCH 

WE  may  take  first  of  all  the  opinion  of  that 
warrior  of  the  Kef  ormation,  Luther  him- 
self, who  stood  as  stoutly  for  tithes  as 
he  did  for  his  "  Theses." 

Alongside  of  the  picture  called  up  by  the  words 
of  the  redoubtable  Luther  put  the  stern,  uncompro- 
mising image  of  John  Knox,  the  erstwhile  court 
preacher  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  and  then  hear 
him  say,  "  Our  Lord  in  the  Gospel,  speaking  of 
payment  of  tithes  to  the  Pharisees,  saith ;  *  These 
ought  ye  to  have  done  and  not  to  leave  the  others 
undone.' 

"  It  behooveth  them  to  be  paid.  Now  a  great 
many,  to  outface  conscience  and  delude  all  reproofs, 
maintain  that  lands,  tithes,  yea,  whatever  belonged 
to  the  Church  in  former  ages,  may  be  lawfully 
alienated. 

"  There  is  no  impiety  against  which  it  is  more 
requisite  you  set  yourselves  in  this  time.  Kepent, 
therefore,  and  amend  your  own  neglect  in  this 
behalf  and  call  upon  others  for  amendment.",! 

A  little  later,  among  the  brilliant  men  who 
raised  their  voices  for  the  preservation  of  tithing, 
we  find  Dr.  Chalmers,  who  said :  "  There  might  be 

123 


124  THE  LAW  OP  THE  TITHE 

drawn  important  lessons  from  the  largeness  of  the 
proportion  which  God  here  commands.  The  first 
born  bear  a  ratio  to  the  whole  approach — to  the 
tithe  which  He  also  claimed  of  the  fruits  of  the 
earth,  or  even  to  the  seventh,  which  He  specified 
as  His  share  of  your  time — not  a  large  proportion, 
certainly,  when  measured  by  His  absolute  right, 
but  large  when  measured  by  the  natural  inclination 
of  man  to  consecrate  what  he  has  to  God." 

Calvin,  likewise,  in  those  troublous  times  of  the 
French  Reformation,  had  freely  lifted  his  voice 
also,  declaring,  "We  see  how  God  complaineth 
that  He  was  defrauded  both  of  His  first  fruits  and 
also  of  His  offerings  and  of  all  the  residue  which 
He  had  applied  to  Himself  in  His  law.  But  if 
we  inquire  how  the  heathen  behaved  themselves 
towards  their  idols,  we  should  find  that  they  are 
willing  to  spend  the  most  part  of  their  substance 
on  their  superstitions." 

Prof.  Max  Mueller,  of  Oxford,  the  renowned 
orientalist  and  translator  of  "  The  Sacred  Books  of 
the  East,"  once  wrote  as  follows  to  a  man  of  the 
ministerial  cloth :  "  It  is  surprising  that  when  there 
is  so  much  profession  of  religious  sincerity,  a  spe- 
cial society  should  be  organized  to  impress  upon 
the  people  the  duty  of  giving  to  benevolence  a 
tenth  part  of  their  income.  Can  there  be  a  lower 
and  simpler  test  of  that  sincerity  ?  And  yet,  when 
one  thinks  what  this  world  of  ours  would  be  if  at 
least  this  minimum  of  Christianity  were  a  reality, 
one  feels  that  you  are  right  in  preaching  this  simple 


VOICES  OF  MEN  EMINENT  IN  THE  CHURCH    125 

duty  in  season  and  out  of  season,  until  people  see 
that,  without  fulfilling  it,  every  other  profession  of 
religion  is  a  mere  sham.  I  can  hardly  trust  myself 
to  think  what  the  result  would  be  if  it  were  con- 
sidered as  not  respectable  to  give  less  than  one- 
tenth.  This  proportion  of  the  total  income  would 
amount  in  England  alone  to  $180,000,000  a  year. 
You  will  not  rest  till  people  begin  to  see  that  to 
give  openly  is  less  selfish  than  to  give  secretly  ;  nay, 
till  the  giving  of  one-tenth  of  one's  income  becomes 
the  general  fashion,  so  that  a  young  man  of  Oxford 
would  as  soon  think  of  walking  High  Street  with- 
out his  hat  as  profess  to  be  a  Christian  and  not  ful- 
fill so  humble  a  part  of  his  duty." 

That  other  towering  oak  of  sturdy  English 
integrity  and  broad  statesmanship,  William  E. 
Gladstone,  speaking  to  the  same  end,  uttered  these 
memorable  words : 

"  To  constitute  a  moral  obligation,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary that  we  have  a  positive  command.  Probable 
evidence  is  binding  as  well  as  demonstrative  evi- 
dence ;  nay,  it  constitutes  the  greatest  portion  of  the 
subject  matter  of  duty.  And,  therefore,  a  dim 
view  of  religious  truth  entails  an  obligation  to 
follow  it  as  real  and  valid  as  that  which  results 
from  a  clear  and  full  comprehension." 

Dr.  Miller  of  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  has,  upon 
this  subject  of  tithing,  words  equally  weighty 
with  his  illustrious  compeers  of  other  years  whose 
utterances  have  been  quoted  in  this  chapter.  He 
says :  "  The  law  of  the  tithe  is  binding  upon  the 


126  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Christian  Church  according  to  the  judgment  of  the 
Fathers  and  the  voice  of  the  Church  uncontradicted 
for  more  than  a  thousand  years.  It  is  a  sad  thought 
that  the  faith  of  the  Jews  and  the  heathen  should 
exceed  ours.  It  was  a  proverb  among  the  Jews — 
pay  tithes  and  be  rich.  The  heathen  made  the  same 
observation  that  he  who  paid  most  to  his  gods  did 
receive  most  from  them.  They  saw  God's  judg- 
ments upon  them  for  not  paying  Him  His  tenth ; 
they  repented,  restored  the  tithe  and  were  delivered. 
But  we  Christians  remain  the  only  incurable  infidels, 
and  we  refuse  to  pay  God  that  which  by  a  universal 
decree  He  has  from  the  beginning  reserved  for 
Himself." 

Among  the  weighty  things  that  have  been  said 
in  these  modern  days  regarding  the  practice  of  pro- 
portionate giving,  it  seems  to  me  nothing  exceeds 
in  interest  and  importance  the  following  utter- 
ances of  Bishop  James  W.  Bashford,  in  his  book, 
"  God's  Missionary  Plan  for  the  World,"  in  which 
he  says :  "  No  enduring  increase  in  our  resources 
can  be  secured  without  systematic  giving.  The 
Church  can  never  capture  the  world  for  Christ  so 
long  as  our  gifts  rest  upon  spasmodic  emotions 
rather  than  upon  conscience.  Again,  our  giving 
must  be  in  proportion  to  our  income.  The  whole 
history  of  the  Christian  Church  does  not  show  a 
single  mission  established  or  a  single  church  main- 
tained by  appeals  for  each  member  to  give  one 
dollar.  The  cry  for  an  equal  gift  from  each  mem- 
ber of  the  church  at  once  lowers  the  standard  of 


VOICES  OF  MEN  EMINENT  IN  THE  CHURCH    127 

the  wealthiest  members  to  a  pittance ;  and  forces 
upon'  the  poor  members  the  conviction  that  Christ 
does  not  demand  of  them  the  same  amount  as  of 
the  richest  member.  It  is  entirely  proper  to  com- 
pare our  average  contribution  of  fifty-four  cents  per 
member  with  the  average  contribution  of  nearly 
one  dollar  per  member  by  the  members  of  some 
other  churches,  and  to  ask  for  an  average  of  one 
doUar  from  Methodists  ;  this  has  been  done  by  our 
leaders  in  missionary  enterprise  and  with  good 
results. 

"  But  an  assessment  of  one  dollar  per  member 
is  false  in  principle  and  disappointing  in  practice. 
All  business  men  are  agreed  that  system  and 
proportion  are  as  essential  to  success  in  church 
work  as  in  business  life.  Hence  all  business  men 
are  prepared  to  unite  with  the  minister  in  insisting 
upon  the  apostolic  injunction  of  systematic  and 
proportional  giving.  ^  Now  concerning  the  collec- 
tion for  the  saints,  as  I  gave  order  to  the  churches 
of  Galatia,  so  also  do  ye.  Upon  the  first  day  of 
the  week  let  each  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store, 
as  he  may  prosper.'  A  study  of  the  passage  shows 
that  it  is  not  simply  a  suggestion;  that  it  is  a 
general  order,  one  which  Paul  had  given  to  other 
churches  as  well  as  to  the  church  at  Corinth ;  that  it 
enjoins  systematic  giving  at  regular  intervals  estab- 
lished in  advance ;  that  it  demands  proportional 
giving  according  to  the  income  of  each.  The  two 
principles  of  system  and  proportion  clearly  laid 
down  by  the  apostle  Paul  are  essential  to  success  in 


128  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

every  business  enterprise  ;  and  business  men  recog- 
nize them  as  essential  to  the  successful  management 
of  every  church  enterprise. 

"  As  I  have  worked  and  prayed  over  this  chapter 
the  conviction  has  grown  upon  me  that,  in  not 
urging  any  proportion  in  giving,  the  Church  has 
made  the  same  mistake  that  she  would  have  made 
had  she  not  fixed  upon  one-seventh  of  every  Chris- 
tian's time  for  worship,  but  had  left  every  member 
free  to  set  aside  so  much  or  so  little  of  his  time  from 
business  as  might  seem  good  to  his  own  eyes.  It  is 
plain  to  all  that,  had  not  the  early  Christians  set 
aside  one  day  in  seven  for  the  service  of  God, 
and  resolutely  abstained  from  their  ordinary  work 
on  that  day,  Christianity  would  never  have  become 
one  of  the  great  world  religions.  It  grows  equally 
clear  to  me  that  were  the  Christians,  along  with 
the  devotion  of  one-seventh  of  their  time  to  the 
Lord,  to  set  aside  also  one-tenth  of  their  income  for 
His  service,  the  world  would  be  speedily  evan- 
gelized:" ' 

And  so  we  might  go  on  multiplying  quotations, 
and  showing  how  the  whole  current  of  modern 
religious  thought  is  turning  towards  The  Law  of 
the  Tithe;  but  this  will  suffice  to  illustrate  the 
sentiment  among  world  leaders  in  the  Church  of 
to-day  regarding  the  "  sinews  of  war  "  by  which 
the  spiritual  conquest  of  the  globe  is  to  be  brought 
about.  The  call  of  Moses  that  was  echoed  by  the 
prophets  in  thunder  tones,  caught  up  and  echoed 
*  "God's  Missionary  Plan  for  the  "World,"  p,  112, 


VOICES  OF  MEN  EMINENT  IN  THE  CHURCH    129 

again  in  notes  equally  loud  by  the  early  Fathers, 
repeated  by  the  leaders  of  the  great  Eef ormation 
upon  their  trumpets  which  gave  no  uncertain  sound, 
is  now  being  bugled  around  the  globe  by  other 
leaders  equally  devout  and  equally  great,  and  soon 
the  Church  of  the  living  God  will  echo  it  in  full 
chorus  so  loud  that  it  will  reach  the  place  of  His 
feet  made  glorious  in  the  eternal  seats  upon  high. 


VIII 

THE  HISTOEY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE 
CHUEOH  THBOUGH  THE  AGES 

SAYCE  says  that  there  are  tablets  in  the  Brit- 
ish Museum  which  are  receipts  for  tithes 
paid  to  the  sun  god.  "Would  that  some- 
where on  the  earth  some  example  might  be  found, 
buried  in  some  sepulchral  mound  or  amid  the  ruins 
of  some  ancient  library,  consisting  of  receipts  on 
ancient  parchments,  or  written  cuneiform  on  sun 
dried  bricks  of  clay, — receipts  given  to  Christians 
for  tithes  paid  to  the  Church  ;  but  alas !  Examples 
of  that  kind  survive  only  from  the  past  of  the 
ancient  heathen,  and  the  ancient  heathen  worship. 
But  while  we  may  lack  cuneiform  bricks  and  papy- 
rus pictographs,  we  do  not  lack  some  account  of 
the  origin  of  the  system  of  tithing,  an  origin,  too, 
among  the  people  of  God.  Kemote  antiquity 
gives  us  in  the  Book  of  Genesis  the  story  of  Cain 
and  Abel  *  and  their  offering  of  first  fruits  and 
from  the  flock,  an  act  which  was  in  obedience  to 
some  law  laid  upon  their  hearts  by  the  Almighty. 
The  germ  idea  of  the  tithe  is  found  in  their  sacri- 
fice. Later  on,  one  glorious  night,  we  find  Jacob  ^ 
offering  to  pay  tithes  to  God,  provided  that  the 
>  Gen.  iv.  3-13.  *  Gen.  xxviii.  20-22. 

130 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     131 

divine  Father  will  bring  him  back  again  into  his 
native  land.  He  baptized  the  stone  set  up  for  a 
pillar  with  oil ;  and  anticipated  the  offering  of  oil 
in  later  ages,  oil  which  was  so  abundantly  brought 
to  the  tabernacle  and  to  the  temple.  We  find 
Abraham/  also,  the  grandfather  of  Jacob,  and  at 
a  time  not  so  many  years  remote  from  Jacob's  vow 
at  Bethel,  giving  tithe  to  Melchizedek,  priest  of 
the  most  high  God,  a  priest  without  a  recorded 
and  preserved  genealogy,  hence  said  by  Paul  to 
be  "without  father  and  without  mother." 

The  second  great  stage  in  the  history  of  tithes  in 
the  Church  came  with  the  giving  of  the  Levitical 
law.  "  The  Mosaic  law  was  not  an  innovation," 
says  Philip  Schaff,  "but  a  confirmation  of  the 
patriarchal  practice."  ^  Moses  ordained  tithes  to  be 
given  in  the  manner  described  in  Chapters  III  and 
ly  of  this  book.  The  law  given  in  Leviticus  was 
still  further  enlarged  in  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy ; 
and  at  once  the  question  arose  among  the  Rabbins 
and  prophets  as  to  whether  tithes  should  be  given 
by  Jews  everywhere  thoughout  the  world,  or  only 
in  Palestine.  The  earliest  Rabbins  held  that  the 
Law  of  the  Tithe  should  apply  also  to  Egypt,^  and 
also  to  Moab  and  Ammon.^  The  scribes  enlarged 
the  scope  of  the  law  so  as  to  make  it  apply  to  all 
Jews  in  Syria ;  *  and  the  prophets  required  that  it 

*  Gen.  xiv.  18-20. 

«  "  New  Religious  Encyclopaedia,"  Art.  "Tithes." 

'"  Jewish  Encyclopaedia,"  Art.  "Tithes." 


132  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

should  also  be  in  full  force  in  Babylonia,*  a  land 
which  supported  its  heathen  temples  and  gods  with 
tithes,  and  built  great  tithing  houses  along  its 
canals ;  ^  so  that  while  the  Jews  were  tithing  in 
honor  of  the  "  one  "  God,  their  heathen  neighbors 
were  making  offerings  to  "  many  "  gods,  and  mono- 
theism and  polytheism  were  each  developing  and 
elaborating  tithing  systems,  both  inspired  by  a 
living  principle  in  the  breasts  of  their  devotees. 
Among  the  Jews,  the  tithe  of  the  cattle  was  to  go 
to  the  priests  and  Levites,  ^  and  the  old  patriarchal 
custom  or  law,  which  sent  the  firstlings  and  first 
fruits  to  the  same  destination,  was  finally  enlarged 
in  its  scope,  so  as  to  include  a  tithe  of  corn,  wine 
and  oil,  in  addition  to  that  of  the  flock  and  the 
herd.  The  tithe  for  the  poor  came  to  be  applied 
in  tithing  one's  earnings  *  and  so  abundant  became 
the  offerings  that  at  last  great  special  chambers  and 
storehouses  had  to  be  built  for  them.  *  The 
"  Mishna,"  the  composition  of  which  dates  from 
about  one  hundred  years  after  the  destruction  of 
Herod's  temple,^  laid  down  this  rule:  "Every- 
thing which  may  be  used  as  food,  and  is  cultivated 
and  grows  out  of  the  earth,  is  liable  to  tithe."  ^ 
"After  the  Exile,  the  Mosaic  prescripts  were  en- 
forced with  great  regularity."  * 

1  **  Jewish  Encyclopaedia,"  Art.  "Tithes." 

»  Hilprecht.  »  Philo,  "On  the  Rewards  of  the  Priests." 

*  "  Jewish  Encyclopsedia,"  Art."  Tithes." 

»  2  Chron.  xxxi.  11.  «  T,  Theodores,  "  The  Talmud." 

^  The  Mishna  on  "  Maaseroth,"  Vol.  I,  Chapter  I. 

8  Sohaff,  '*  New  Religious  Enoyolopsedia,"  Art.  "Tithes." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     133 

"  It  was  also  a  provision  of  the  Hebrew  law  that 
there  should  be  no  poor  in  the  nation.  The  kin- 
dred of  an  impoverished  man  were  required  to 
restore  him  to  a  simple  independence.  All  debt 
was  cancelled  at  the  end  of  each  seven  years,  and 
if  a  patrimony  had  been  alienated  and  not  re- 
deemed, it  reverted  to  the  original  owner  or  his 
family  in  the  fiftieth  year.  An  Israelite  who  had 
sold  himself  to  pay  his  obligations  was  free  in  the 
seventh  year.  The  Levites  depended  on  tithes 
which  Solomon  appears  to  have  strictly  exacted  in 
their  behalf,  though  Hezekiah  is  first  mentioned  as 
having  formally  assigned  them  their  right.  The 
Levites  who  were  not  on  duty  at  the  temple  lived 
in  the  Levitical  towns  throughout  the  various 
tribes,  and  perhaps  engaged  in  the  instruction  of 
the  people.  Poor  by  birth,  and  without  the  pros- 
pect of  a  share  in  the  wealth  open  to  all  others, 
they  were  yet  well  cared  for  during  Solomon's 
reign." '  As  to  the  Levitical  cities  mentioned  in 
this  passage  from  Geikie,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
Chapter  TV  for  a  list  of  them,  and  for  a  review  of 
the  legal  enactments  and  the  customs  connected 
therewith. 

It  is  probable  that  never  in  all  the  history  of 
Israel  was  the  support  of  the  priesthood  so  well 
kept  up  as  in  the  days  of  King  David.  Certain  it  is 
that  in  no  period  was  there  a  more  elaborate  or- 
ganization of  Levites,  priests,  singers,  helpers,  as 
during  his  reign.  The  greatest  orchestra  the  world 
»  Geikie,  "  Hours  with  the  Bible,"  Vol.  Ill,  p.  493, 


134  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

has  ever  seen  was  organized  by  the  command  of 
God.'  The  arithmetic  of  the  situation  at  this  time 
almost  stuns  us  with  its  vastness.  There  were 
twenty-four  divisions  of  the  Levites,  each  division 
consisting  of  2,000,  or  48,000  in  all,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  assist  the  priests  in  the  sacrifices,  and  to 
render  other  services  in  public  worship.  Of  this 
army  of  Levites,  4,000  were  musicians,  divided  into 
twenty-four  courses,  all  being  under  singers  and 
music  masters ;  while  another  4,000  were  watchers 
of  the  gates  and  doors  of  the  sanctuary,  while 
6,000  others  exercised  the  office  and  honors  of 
police  magistrates  to  see  that  all  the  requirements 
of  the  law  were  observed ;  and  to  this  end  they 
were  scattered  far  and  wide  among  the  people, 
with  their  homes  in  the  forty-eight  Levitical  cities. 
Of  these  cities,  thirteen  were  the  possession  of  the 
priests,  who  were,  after  all,  only  greater  Levites. 
Yast  numbers  of  this  army  of  Levites  were  con- 
stantly resorting  to  Jerusalem.  The  priests  came 
to  the  Levitical  cities  to  assist  in  checking  up  the 
tithes,  one  Levite  being  detailed  with  one  priest  to 
see  that  everything  was  properly  arranged,  and  the 
true  tale  of  the  accounts  rendered.  Those  writers 
who  have  investigated  the  subject  so  carelessly  as 
to  say  that  the  tithe  was  not  generally  enforced 
throughout  Judea,  or  that  the  Levites  never  were 
put  fully  in  possession  of  the  forty-eight  cities  which 
were  allotted  them,  show  a  painful  ignorance  ^  of  the 

1  Geikie,  '*  Hours  with  the  Bible,"  Vol.  VI,  pp.  521-622. 
■  As  for  instance,  the  "Expositor's  Bible." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     135 

subject,  especially  the  allotment  made  by  Joshua  at 
the  command  of  Moses,  as  given  in  Numbers  xxxv. 

An  amusing  ignorance  crops  out  sometimes, 
even  among  commentators,  as  to  the  measure- 
ments in  extending  the  boundaries  of  the  cities  so 
as  to  provide  the  Levitical  allotments  of  pasture 
ground  and  space  for  barns,  gardens,  etc.  Here 
the  Talmud  is  invaluable.  It  is  a  great  misfortune 
to  Christendom  that  it  has  been  suffered  to  remain 
so  long  untranslated  in  its  entirety.  Kumberless 
fragments  and  translations  of  rather  large  portions 
have  been  before  the  scholars  in  Latin ;  Germany 
has  possessed  a  reasonably  good  version  of  a  large 
part  of  the  Babylonian  Talmud ;  but  it  is  only  in 
recent  years  that  a  translation  of  the  whole  work 
has  been  undertaken,  so  vast  has  been  the  labor 
necessary  to  systematize  the  version,  and  correct  the 
text  for  corruptions.^  There  is  no  "Textus  Ke- 
ceptus  "  of  the  Talmud.  It  is  now  in  process  of 
formation;  and  be  it  said  to  the  shame  of  the 
Gentile  world,  not  a  little  of  the  emendation  neces- 
sary arises  from  the  fact  that  all  kinds  of  liberties 
have  been  taken  with  the  text  by  Gentile  hands. 
Hate  for  the  Jew,  narrow  bigotry,  intolerance,  and 
the  Inquisitorial  Office,  have  all  done  their  work  ; 
and  it  will  take  some  time  yet  to  restore  the  text 
accessible  to  scholars  to  a  state  of  purity  even  ap- 
proaching that  of  the  Greek  text  of  the  jN"ew 
Testament. 

While  all  the  above  is  true,  yet  it  may  be  said  to 

*  There  are  now  two  German  translations. 


136  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  satisfaction  of  students  of  the  Bible  that  in  re- 
cent years  a  new  translation  of  a  very  large  section 
of  the  Babylonian  Talmud  has  appeared  in  English. 
The  writer  has  been  unable,  much  to  his  regret,  to 
get  access  to  the  section  dealing  with  "  Maaseroth  " 
or  "  Tithes  "  ;  but  has  been  compelled  to  take  his 
knowledge  second  hand  from  the  works  of  He- 
braists who  were  familiar  with  the  original  text  of 
the  Babylonian  Talmud. 

In  relation,  however,  to  the  question  of  the 
boundaries  of  the  Levitical  cities,  the  author  has 
had  access  to  the  translated  portion  of  the  Talmud 
which  deals  somewhat  with  that  matter.  "  How 
are  the  boundaries  of  a  town  extended  ?  A  town 
that  is  oblong  remains  as  it  is.  A  town  in  the  form 
of  a  circle  is  provided  with  corners.  One  that  is  in 
the  form  of  a  square  need  not  be  made  equiangular. 
If  it  was  narrow  on  one  side  and  wide  on  another, 
it  must  be  made  even  all  around  (through  the 
formation  of  a  parallelogram).  If  a  house  or  row 
of  buildings  protruded  from  one  of  the  walls  of  the 
town,  a  straight  line  is  drawn  from  the  extreme 
end  of  such  protruding  buildings,  parallel  to  the 
wall,  and  thence  two  thousand  ells  are  measured. 
If  the  town  was  in  the  form  of  an  arch  or  a  right 
angle,  it  should  be  considered  as  if  the  entire  space 
enclosed  by  the  arch  or  right  angle  were  filled  with 
houses,  and  2,000  ells  should  be  measured  from  the 
extreme  ends."  So  says  the  Babylonian  Talmud, 
in  the  tract  dealing  with  such  matters.  But,  reader, 
look  not  for  an  index  to  the  Talmud,     Conserva- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     137 

tism  and  difficulty  together  have  left  it  unprovided 
with  the  semblance  of  an  index.  Search,  as  did  the 
writer,  until  some  good  fortune  brings  you  to  your 
destination.  It  is  astonishing  and  dehghtful,  too, 
to  read  the  minute  directions  given  by  the  Kabbins 
as  to  the  why,  the  when  and  the  how  of  carrying 
the  surveyor's  chain,  and  to  be  informed  as  to  the 
engineering  difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  measure- 
ment of  gullies  and  so  forth,  in  the  measurement  of 
the  Levitical  glebe.  One  can  see  in  this  plotting  of 
ground  the  origin  of  the  English  parish  glebe. 

Priests,  people  and  Levites  took  turns  in  bring- 
ing in  the  produce  of  the  soil  and  trees  (first  fruits) 
as  being  too  sacred  to  be  diverted  to  secular  uses  ^,  it 
being  understood  that  God  must  have  the  first,  and 
hence  the  holy,  yield  of  the  trees  bearing  for  the 
first  time,  as  likewise  the  first  products  of  the 
growing  crops.  First  born  sons,  first  born  cattle 
for  redemption,  the  firstlings  of  sheep  and  goats 
and  the  fat  for  the  altar,  all  these  things  were 
regularly,  plenteously  and  conscientiously  brought 
in.  Conscience,  as  we  have  seen  above,  was  assisted 
in  its  operations  by  6,000  police  magistrates  (Levites) 
who  suffered  no  laxity.'  First  fruits  of  coarse 
meal,  heave  offerings  of  barley  and  of  other  fruits 
and  products,  including,  at  the  last,  wine  and  oil, 
were  brought  in  in  magnificent  abundance.  There  is 
no  hint  in  this  of  the  modern  parsimoniousness  of 
much  of  Protestantism. 

In  the  same  way  the  tithes  were  brought  for  the 
»  Geikie's  **  Hours  with  the  Bible,"  Vol.  Ill,  p.  263. 


138  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

sustenance  of  the  Levites  at  Jerusalem,  a  somewhat 
different  arrangement  being  made  for  the  lesser 
Levites  in  their  cities,  which  was  that  they  had 
gardens,  field  and  pastures  where  they  might  get 
produce  of  their  own,  and  pasture  the  Levitical 
herds.  A  priest  attended  with  a  Levite  to  see  that 
exactness  was  secured  when  these  tithe-payments 
were  made,  and  that  the  tenth  of  the  tithe  was 
paid  to  the  priests.  The  people,  accompanied  by 
the  Levites,  were  to  deliver  at  the  temple  all  heave 
offerings  of  grain,  wine,  oil,  for  the  sacred  store- 
houses; since  the  temple  guards  and  singers  for 
whose  sustenance  these  provisions  were  to  serve 
were  to  be  employed  in  the  holy  bounds,  and  the 
sacred  vessels  in  which  part  of  the  offerings 
were  to  be  given  to  God  were  also  kept  in  the 
temple. 

Later  on,  when  the  theocracy  (democracy)  was 
nearly  destroyed  by  monarchy,  there  began  what 
the  moderns  call  "  impropriation,"  that  is,  the 
appropriation  of  tithing  revenues  and  glebes  by  the. 
Jewish  kings.'  The  Law  of  the  Tithe  was  broken, 
and  great  sacrilege  committed  by  crowding  the 
Levites  into  the  little  kingdom  of  Judah,  where 
they  were  given  small  allotments  of  land.  Still 
further  was  there  intrusion  of  Levitical  rights  when 
John  Hyrcanus,  about  b.  c.  130,  diverted  the  tithes 
to  the  priests.  After  the  Keturn  from  Babylon,  the 
Pharisee  party  which  had  taken  root  there,  on  re- 
turning to  the  Holy  Land,  so  hedged  the  law,  that 
^Geikie's  "  Hours  with  the  Bible,"  Vol.  Ill,  p.  493. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     139 

tithes  were  taken,  not  only  of  grains  and  fruits, 
but  also  of  pulse,  herbs  in  the  gardens,  and  so  on, 
a  tithe  which  the  law  did  not  require.  Jesus,  in 
His  discourses  to  the  Pharisees  later  on,  endorsed 
their  tithing,  but  reproved  them  for  neglecting 
morality  and  sanctity  of  the  heart  and  life. 

The  history  of  tithing  in  the  Jewish  Church 
practically  ceases  with  the  destruction  of  the 
temple  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  YO;  and 
with  that  event,  the  chronicle  is  taken  up  by  the 
historians  and  annalists  of  the  Christian  Church ; 
for  although  the  apostles  and  the  gospel  writers 
are  practically  silent  on  the  tithing  question,  it  is 
because  the  tithing  law  was  so  well  understood 
and  so  well  observed,  and  the  habit  of  sharing  with 
the  Lord  so  deeply  rooted  that  nothing  was  neces- 
sary by  way  of  direction  or  admonition.^  "  The 
apostles  never  mention  tithing,  because  that  in 
their  time  the  voluntary  offerings  of  the  members 
still  suf&ced  for  the  wants  of  the  Church."  ^  In 
fact,  so  zealous  did  the  Jerusalem  Christians  be- 
come that  they  in  some  instances  sold  all  their 
possessions,  and  laid  the  price  thereof  at  the 
apostles'  feet.^  The  hideous  defection  of  Ananias 
and  Sapphira  was  one  of  the  incidents  of  this  com- 
munistic life  at  Jerusalem,  a  defection  which  was 
rebuked  in  so  terrible  a  manner  by  the  death  of 
the  perpetrators,  that  great  fear  fell  on  the  Church,* 
and  no  similar  instance  of  cupidity  and  lying  is  re- 

^Schaff,  "New  Religions  Encyclopaedia,"  Art.  "Tithes." 
» Jbid,  *  Acts  iv.  37.  *  Acta  v.  11. 


140  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

corded  in  the  history  of  the  infant  Christian  body. 
So  free  and  so  abundant  were  the  offerings  by  the 
Church  in  different  parts  of  the  Roman  world,  that 
Paul  had  no  difficulty  afterwards  in  taking  up  an 
abundant  offering  for  "the  poor  saints  at  Jeru- 
salem," whose  communism  had  impoverished  them ; 
and  he  specially  thanked  and  commended  some  of 
the  disciples  for  a  collection  gathered  by  them  for 
his  support '  which  was  so  generously  extended  to 
him  not  only  from  this,  but  from  other  quarters, 
that  he  "  lived  in  his  own  hired  house  "  while  a 
prisoner,  and  so  escaped  the  rigors  of  a  Roman 
incarceration.^ 

After  a  century  or  two,  zeal  in  the  observation 
of  the  tithing  law  commenced  to  grow  lukewarm. 
This  is  specially  mentioned  by  Cyprian,  "De 
Unitate  Ecclesiae,"  p.  23.  In  the  East,  all  soon 
united  in  demanding  tithes  in  accordance  with  the 
Old  Testament  prescripts.^  Tithes  were  recom- 
mended by  the  Second  Council  of  Tours,  a.  d. 
567;^  and  excommunication  was  added  to  the 
command  to  observe  the  tithing  law,  by  the 
Council  of  Macon  which  met  in  585.  Even  the 
confessional  was  used  to  enforce  the  decree  ^  and 
the  matter  was  finally  clinched  by  Charlemagne, 
who  firmly  established  tithing  in  his  empire.  "  In 
779  he  ordained  that  every  one  should  pay  tithes, 
and  that  the  proceeds  should  be  disposed  of  by  the 

*Phn.  iv.  10.  'Aotaxxviii.  16,  30. 

'SohafiE,  '*  New  Religious  Enoyolopaedia,"  Art.  "Tithes." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH    141 

bishop  ;  and  a.  d.  787,  it  was  made  imperative  by 
the  legatine  councils  held  in  England."  ^ 

"  Thence  onward  it  was  enforced  by  infrequent 
legislation.  Almost  all  laws  after  the  death  of 
Alfred  contain  some  mention  of  it.  Edgar's  legis- 
lation was  somewhat  minute,  directing  the  tithe  of 
the  young  to  be  paid  at  Whitsuntide,  the  fruits  of 
the  earth  at  the  autumnal  equinox,  to  be  paid  at 
*  eald  mynster '  or  mother  church  to  which  the 
district  belongs.  The  thegn,  having  a  burying 
ground  on  his  bookland,  was  bound  to  give  one- 
third  of  the  tithe  to  the  church  owning  the  ceme- 
tery ;  otherwise  he  might  give  the  priest  what  he 
pleased.  Free  townships  gave  them  to  parish, 
priests,  while  lords  of  franchises  often  made  friends 
in  high  places  by  giving  them  to  monasteries.  This 
was  frequent  after  the  Norman  Conquest  of  1066. 
The  Council  of  the  year  1200  decided  that  the 
parochial  clergy  have  the  first  claim  to  the  tithe  of 
the  cultivated  land.  Besides,  there  was  the  cyric- 
sceat,  or  church-scot,  a  sort  of  commutation  of 
first  fruits  paid  by  every  householder ;  sawl-sceat 
or  soul-scot  or  mortuary  dues ;  with  other  occasional 
offerings."  ^ 

In  his  great  work,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Laws," 
Montesquieu  has  the  following  observations  on 
*'  The  Establishment  of  the  Tithe,"  that  are  so  im- 
portant, both  for  the  character  of  the  information 
they  contain,  and  for  the  source  from  which  they 

>Stubbs,  "Const.  Hist.  Eng.,"  Chap.  8,  Sec.  86. 
*I1nd,,  Vol.  I,  pp.  227-229. 


142  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

spring,  that  I' give  them  here.  He  says:  "The 
regulations  made  under  King  Pepin  had  given  the 
Church  rather  hopes  of  relief  than  effectually  re- 
lieved her;  and  as  Charles  Martel  found  all  the 
landed  estates  of  the  kingdom  in  the  hands  of  the 
clergy,  Charlemagne  found  all  the  church  lands  in 
the  hands  of  the  soldiery.  The  latter  could  not  be 
compelled  to  restore  a  voluntary  donation  ;  and  the 
circumstances  of  that  time  rendered  the  thing  still 
more  impracticable  than  it  seemed  to  be  of  its  own 
nature.  On  the  other  hand,  Christianity  ought  not 
to  have  been  lost  for  want  of  ministers,  churches 
and  instruction. 

"  This  was  the  reason  of  Charlemagne's  establish- 
ing the  tithes,  a  new  kind  of  property  which  had 
this  advantage  in  favor  of  the  clergy,  that  as  they 
were  given  particularly  to  the  Church,  it  was  easier 
in  process  of  time  to  know  when  they  were  usurped. 

"  Some  have  attempted  to  make  this  institution 
of  a  still  remoter  date,  but  the  authorities  they 
produce  seem  rather,  I  think,  to  prove  the  contrary. 
The  Constitution  of  Cloth  arius  says  only  that  they 
shall  not  raise  certain  tithes  on  church  lands;  so 
far  then  was  the  Church  from  exacting  at  that 
time,  that  its  whole  pretension  was  to  be  exempted 
from  paying  them.  The  Second  Council  of  Macon, 
which  was  held  in  585,  and  ordains  the  payment 
of  tithes,  says,  indeed,  that  they  were  paid  in 
ancient  times,  but  it  says  also  that  the  custom  of 
paying  them  was  then  abolished. 

"No  one  questions  but  that  the  clergy  opened 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     143 

the  Bible  before  Charlemagne's  time,  and  preached 
the  gifts  and  offerings  of  Leviticus.  But  I  say,  that 
before  the  prince's  reign,  though  the  tithes  might 
have  been  preached,  they  were  never  established. 

"•  I  noticed  that  the  regulations  made  under  King 
Pepin  had  subjected  those  who  were  seized  of 
church  lands  in  fief  to  the  payment  of  tithes,  and 
to  the  repairing  of  churches.  It  was  a  great  deal 
to  induce  by  a  law,  whose  equity  could  not  be  dis- 
puted, the  principal  men  of  the  nation  to  set  the 
example. 

"Charlemagne  did  more;  and  we  find  by  the 
Capitulary  de  Yilis  that  he  obliged  his  own  de- 
mesnes to  the  payment  of  the  tithes ;  this  was  a 
still  more  striking  example. 

"  But  the  commonalty  are  rarely  influenced  by 
example  to  sacrifice  their  interests.  The  Synod  of 
Frankf ord  furnished  them  with  a  more  cogent  mo- 
tive to  pay  the  tithes.  A  capitulary  was  made  in 
that  Synod,  wherein  it  is  said  that  in  the  last  fam- 
ine the  spikes  of  corn  were  found  to  contain  no 
seed,  the  infernal  spirits  having  devoured  it  all, 
and  that  those  spirits  had  been  heard  to  reproach 
them  with  not  having  paid  the  tithes ;  in  conse- 
quence of  which  it  was  ordained  that  all  those  who 
were  seized  of  church  lands  should  pay  the  tithes ; 
and  the  next  consequence  was  that  the  obligation 
extended  to  all. 

"  Charlemagne's  project  did  not  succeed  at  first, 
for  it  seemed  too  heavy  a  burden.  The  payment 
of  the  tithes  among  the  Jews  was  connected  with 


144:  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  plan  of  the  foundation  of  their  republic;  but 
here  it  was  a  burden  quite  independent  of  the  other 
charges  of  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy.  We 
find  by  the  regulations  added  to  the  law  of  the 
Lombard  the  difficulty  there  was  in  causing  the 
tithes  to  be  accepted  by  the  civil  laws ;  and  as  for 
the  opposition  they  met  with  before  they  were 
admitted  to  the  ecclesiastic  laws,  we  may  easily 
judge  of  it  from  the  different  canons  of  the 
councils. 

"The  people  consented  at  length  to  pay  the 
tithes,  upon  condition  that  they  might  have  the 
power  of  redeeming  them.  This  the  constitution  of 
Louis  the  Debonnaire,  and  that  of  the  Emperor 
Lotharius,  his  son,  would  not  allow. 

"  The  laws  of  Charlemagne,  in  regard  to  the 
establishment  of  tithes,  were  a  work  of  necessity, 
not  of  superstition — a  work,  in  short,  in  which  re- 
ligion only  was  concerned. 

"His  famous  division  of  the  tithes  into  four 
parts,  for  the  repairing  of  the  churches,  for  the 
poor,  for  the  bishop,  and  for  the  clergy,  manifestly 
proves  that  he  wished  to  give  the  Church  that  fixed 
and  permanent  status  which  she  had  lost. 

"  His  will  shows  that  he  was  desirous  of  repair- 
ing the  mischief  done  by  his  grandfather,  Charles 
Martel.  He  made  three  equal  shares  of  his  mov- 
able goods ;  two  of  these  he  would  have  divided 
each  into  one  and  twenty  parts,  for  the  one-and- 
twenty  metropolitan  sees  of  his  empire  ;  each  part 
was  to  be  subdivided  between  the  metropolitan  and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     145 

the  dependent  bishoprics.  The  remaining  third  he 
distributed  into  four  parts;  one  he  gave  to  his 
children  and  grandchildren,  another  was  added  to 
the  two-thirds  already  bequeathed,  and  the  other 
two  were  assigned  to  charitable  uses.  It  seems  as 
if  he  looked  upon  the  immense  donation  he  was 
making  to  the  Church  less  as  a  religious  act  than  a 
political  distribution."  ^ 

It  will  be  interesting  at  this  point  to  introduce 
Hallam's  view  of  the  same  period  of  tithing  history, 
as  found  in  his  "Middle  Ages,"  Volume  I,  p.  618. 
I  have  condensed  somewhat  his  learned  statements, 
and  the  result  is  as  follows :  After  the  fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,  so  eloquently  and  graphically  por- 
trayed by  the  great  Gibbon,  "  the  Synod  of  Tours, 
A.  D.  567,  through  four  of  its  bishops,  issued  a  let- 
ter to  the  laity  asserting  that  the  tithe  should  be 
paid.  The  Second  Synod  of  Macon  (a.  d.  585)  put 
excommunication  as  a  penalty  for  refusing  to  observe 
it.  This  is  said  to  be  the  first  authentic  enactment. 
From  this  time  on  its  enforcement  became  more 
and  more  nearly  universal.  The  first  Christian 
emperors  assigned  land  and  property  for  the  sup- 
port of  ministers,  but  did  not  enforce  the  tithe. 
Finally,  Charlemagne,  King  of  the  Franks,  768-800, 
Roman  Emperor,  800-814,  made  the  first  enactment 
in  his  Capitularies.  The  parochial  divisions  did 
not  first  exist  until  several  centuries  after  the 
establishment  of  Christianity.    The  bishops  received 

*  Montesquieu's     **The  Spirit  of  the  Laws,"    Vol.   II,   pp. 
237-240. 


146  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  tithes,  and  apportioned  them  as  they  saw  fit. 
Charlemagne  divided  tithes  into  three  parts,  one 
for  the  bishop  and  his  clergy,  one  for  the  poor,  and 
a  third  for  the  support  of  the  fabric  of  the  Church. 

"  The  rural  churches  were  for  a  long  time  adjuncts 
of  the  cathedrals,  but  finally,  by  degrees,  were  re- 
quired to  be  self-supporting.  The  first  injunction  in 
regard  to  tithes  was  by  a  provincial  council  of  France 
near  the  end  of  the  sixth  century.  From  the  ninth  to 
the  end  of  the  twelfth,  or  later,  it  is  similarly  en- 
forced. Most  of  the  sermons  preached  in  the  eighth 
century  inculcated  tithing  as  a  duty.  About  the  year 
1200,  the  tithes  which  had  been  called  predial  or  per- 
taining to  the  fruits  of  the  earth  were  extended  to 
include,  at  least  theoretically,  every  species  of  profit, 
and  to  wages  derived  from  every  kind  of  labor. 
In  the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries,  many  clerical 
tithes  fell  into  the  hands  of  laymen,  through  the 
practice  of  extortion  through  farming  them  out  to 
cheap  curates,  the  surplus  above  their  salary  going 
to  the  pockets  of  their  employers.  However,  in 
England,  such  was  the  power  of  the  Church  that 
about  one-half  of  all  the  land  of  the  country, 
through  successive  grants,  came  into  control  of  the 
Church  ;  and  in  some  countries  of  Europe  the  pro- 
portion was  even  greater." 

I  may  add  to  the  above  that  the  great  struggle 
between  lords  and  commons,  which  is  now  convuls- 
ing England,  is  over  the  possession  and  taxation  of 
vast  tracts  of  land,  many  of  them  shooting  preserves, 
owned  by  English  nobles,  land  which  anciently  be- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     147 

longed  to  the  Church  as  noted  in  the  preceding 
paragraph,  but  escheated  from  the  Church  to  Henry 
YIII,  or  to  his  favorites,  as  we  shall  see  a  little 
farther  on  in  this  chapter. 

The  tithe  had  been  introduced  into  England  about 
the  close  of  the  eighth  century  by  Offa,  King  of 
Mercia,  and  by  Ethelwulf  in  the  ninth  century,  or, 
as  another  authority  writes,  by  Atelstan  (Athel- 
stane),  A.  D.  927,  who  made  it  a  law  for  the  whole 
English  realm.  Innocent  III  directed  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  to  require  that  tithes  should 
be  paid  to  the  payee's  own  clergyman,  but  this  law 
was  a  dead  letter  until  the  General  Council  of 
Lateran,  1215,  gave  the  parson  the  parochial  right 
to  the  tithes.^ 

"  The  name  of  *  tithing,'  which  in  some  parts  of 
England  still  replaces  that  of  the  township  as  the  unit 
of  local  administration,  and  which  occurs  as  early 
as  the  time  of  Edgar,  must  be  understood  as  a  sub- 
division of  the  *  hundred.'"^  "In  England,  in 
Anglo-Saxon  times,  a  tithe  was  a  district  containing 
ten  householders  who  were  sureties  to  the  king  for 
the  good  behavior  of  each  other."  ^  "  The  Anglo- 
Saxon  version  of  Genesis  xiv.  20  says :  *  He  sealde 
him  the  teothunge  of  eallum  tham  thingum' — he 
gave  him  the  tithe  of  all  the  possessions."  *  "  The 
Anglo-Saxon  *teotha'  stands  for  Heontha' formed 

»E.  B.  Stewart's  "  The  Tithe,"  pp.  30-31. 
'Stubbs,    "Const.    Hist.,"  Vol.    I,  p.    85. 
'Stormonth,  " English  Dictionary, "  Art.  "Tithe." 
*IUd, 


148  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

with  suffix — tha  from  'teon,  ten.'  The  loss  of  *n' 
before  '  th '  occurs  again  in  '  tooth,'  '  other,'  etc. 
We  also  have  '  ten-th '  in  which  '  n '  is  retained ; 
hence  '  tenth  '  and  '  tithe '  are  doublets."  ^  "  The 
true  English  word  is  ^  tithe.'  "  ^ 

The  introduction  of  the  tithe  into  England  at  the 
above  date  was  followed  by  its  being  introduced 
also  into  Portugal  and  Denmark  in  the  eleventh 
century,  and  into  Sweden  in  the  thirteenth  century.' 
In  Germany,  the  court  treasury  has  been  allowed 
to  suffer,  but  not  God's,  says  one  writer. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Keformation,  both  on 
the  Continent  and  in  England,  there  was  no  dis- 
position on  the  part  of  any  of  the  great  leaders  of 
the  movement  except  Henry  YIII  to  interfere  in 
any  way  with  the  operation  of  the  Levitical  law, 
backed  by  the  laws  civil  and  the  laws  ecclesiastical. 
In  Scotland,  under  Knox,  the  First  Book  of  Dis- 
cipline has  this  passage  :  "  The  sums  able  to  sustain 
the  forenamed  persons,  and  to  furnish  all  things 
appertaining  to  the  preservation  of  good  order  and 
policy  within  the  Kirk,  must  be  lifted  of  tenths,  the 
tenth  sheaf  of  all  sorts  of  corn,  hay,  hemp  and  lint : 
tenth  fish,  tenth  calf,  tenth  lamb,  tenth  wool,  tenth 
foal,  tenth  cheese.  And  because  we  know  that  the 
tenth  was  reasonably  taken,  as  is  before  expressed, 
will  not  suffice  to  discharge  the  former  necessity," 
it  directs  other  gifts  and  rents.    In  fact,  it  is  true 

»  Stormonth,  "English  Dictionary,"  Art.  "Tithe." 
'Skeat,  "Etymological  Dictionary,"  Art.  "Tithe." 
•Sohaff,  "New  Religious  Enoyolopsedia, "  Art.  "Tithes." 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     149 

of  all  countries  where  the  tithe  had  been  rec- 
ognized by  law  and  custom,  which  sometimes  ac- 
quires the  force  of  law,  tithes  were  retained  ;  and 
the  inbreaking  of  the  new  light  of  the  Reformation 
did  not  tend  in  any  way  to  diminish  the  force  of 
the  obligation  resting  upon  the  consciences  of  the 
leading  spirits  who  guided  the  destinies  of  this 
spiritual  Renaissance,  but  rather  it  deepened, 
quickened,  and  gave  it  fresh  power.  None  had 
supposed,  up  to  this  time,  that  tithes  rested  their 
claim  upon  anything  else  than  the  Mosaic  law ;  in 
fact,  down  to  the  seventeenth  century  this  had  been 
the  conclusion,  both  of  churchmen  and  princes, 
seconded  by  their  lawmakers  ;  but  now  came  the 
great  challenge  of  learning  and  patient  investiga- 
tion, to  the  doctrine  of  "  The  divine  right  of 
Icings^'^  as  emphasized  in  the  struggles  of  Charles  I, 
James  I,  Charles  II,  and  in  large  measure  between 
the  English  Commons  and  the  monarchs  who 
succeeded  the  ones  I  have  named ;  and  The  Law  of 
the  Tithe  very  early  in  this  struggle  of  the  giants 
came  to  be  involved  in  the  points  at  issue.  Selden, 
Grotius,  et  al.,  showed  that  tithes  were  known  to 
the  Roman  law  ;  *  and  the  bitter  discussion  which 
arose,  in  which  churchmen  at  first  were  loth  to  ad- 
mit any  other  foundation  than  the  Mosaic  pre- 
scripts, resulted  at  last  in  the  breaking  down,  in 
large  measure,  of  the  rights  of  the  Church,  and 
in  their  impropriation  by  the  crown,  as  in  the  case 
of  Henry  YIII,  as  I  shall  show  in  a  later  paragraph. 
»  Schaff,  "  New  Religious  Encyclopaedia."  Art.  "  Tithe." 


150  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Kings  who  had  preceded  Henry  had  done  all 
they  could,  apparently,  to  confirm  the  rights  of  the 
Church.  When  King  John,  the  night  before 
Kunnymede,  rolled  over  and  over  in  his  tent,  biting 
the  sticks  and  grass  as  he  vrallowed  on  the  ground, 
foaming  at  the  mouth  in  his  rage,  because  Magna 
Charta  was  about  to  be  signed  by  his  unwilling 
hand,  and  wrested  from  his  fingers  to  become  the 
bulwark  of  the  British  Constitution,  and  the  Charter 
of  British  liberties,  not  a  little  of  his  fury  may  have 
been  occasioned  by  the  fact  that  he  knew  to-morrow 
would  witness  his  written  concession  in  these  words, 
the  words  of  Magna  Charta :  "  We  have  granted 
unto  God,  and  by  this  our  present  charter  have  con- 
firmed, for  us  and  our  heirs  forevermore,  that  the 
Church  of  England  shall  be  free  and  have  all  rights 
inviolable."  Thus  we  see  that  the  very  founda- 
tions of  the  British  commonweal  guarantee  the 
binding  force  of  The  Law  of  the  Tithe,  which 
previous  monarchs,  recognizing  the  claims  of  the 
Mosaic  prescript  on  the  human  conscience  and  will, 
had  drafted  into  forceful  regulations  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Church.  This  right  to  the  tithe,  there- 
fore, is  fundamental  in  British  law ;  and  its  claim 
by  the  fundamentals  of  American  law  must  also  be 
conceded ;  since  our  ideas  of  constitutional  govern- 
ment were  transmitted  to  us  through  our  British 
ancestors,  and  guaranteed  to  us  under  a  Constitu- 
tion which  is  the  resounding  echo  of  the  Magna 
Charta. 

To  demonstrate  this  fact,  we  only  need  to  remind 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     151 

ourselves  that  the  Levitical  law  of  the  tithe  was 
engrafted  bodily  into  the  early  laws  of  New 
England  by  the  Plymouth  and  other  Pilgrims.  It 
was  not  felt  to  be  a  hardship  that  the  laws  of 
Moses  suggested  the  giving  of  a  tenth  to  God. 
The  Compact  of  the  Mayflower,  signed  up  in  its 
tiny  cabin  by  the  Pilgrim  fathers,  recognized  the 
Bible  as  containing  the  laws  of  God,  of  binding 
force  upon  the  people  and  upon  their  lawmakers 
alike  ;  and  as  loyal  and  patriotic  Americans,  who 
believe  in  the  foundations  of  true  Christian  liberty, 
it  is  our  duty,  in  view  of  the  empty  treasuries  of  the 
American  Church,  to  hark  back  to  the  political 
ideas  of  the  'New  England  fathers,  and  to  revive  the 
God-given  obligation  and  privilege  of  The  Law  of 
the  Tithe. 

Indignant,  not  at  the  tithing  system,  but  that  it 
had  been  arbitrarily  imposed  on  the  British  people, 
not  as  dues  to  the  Almighty,  but  as  tribute  to  kings 
due  by  "divine  right,"  John  Selden  dared  the 
anger  of  James  I  in  writing  his  "  History  of 
Tythes,"  in  which  he  challenged  the  doctrine  of 
"  the  divine  right  of  kings "  with  a  fiery  zeal, 
and  with  a  learning  and  acumen  that  demolished 
all  counter  arguments  ;  and  which  left  James  I  help- 
less in  his  wrath,  save  as  he  might  put  Selden  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  or  bring  him  before  the  inquisi- 
tors of  the  Star  Chamber.  In  fact  proceedings  in 
this  historic  Chamber  sought  to  discredit  Selden,* 
to  demolish  his  logic  by  suppressing  it,^  and  by 

1  *  *  Encyclopaedia  Brit. , "  Art.  "  Selden. ' '  *  Ibid, 


152  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

measures  of  unjustifiable  severity  terrify  all  other 
writers  so  that  they  would  not  dare  to  take  up  their 
pens  in  Selden's  defense.  James  I,  who  posed  be- 
fore his  subjects  as  the  great,  the  liberal,  the  good, 
the  tolerant,  so  far  gave  the  lie  to  all  these  epithets 
that  he  caused  all  of  Selden's  books  that  could  be 
seized  to  be  gathered  together  and  burned  by 
the  common  hangman,*  but  thanks  to  the  over- 
sight of  a  Providence,  "  a  divinity  that  shapes  our 
ends,  rough  hew  them  as  we  may,"  James  was  de- 
feated in  this,  so  that  some  of  the  copies  escaped  the 
hangman's  hand  and  torch,  and  repose  in  museums, 
private  libraries  and  book-shops  where  rare  and 
curious  volumes  are  dispensed ;  and  are  imported 
into  the  United  States  even  yet,  as  this  writer  can 
testify,  at  an  expense  of  about  four  dollars  per 
copy ;  which  shows  that  the  volume  has  not  yet  be- 
come extremely  rare,  but  that  even  somewhat 
numerously  it  can  be  picked  up  from  the  book-stalls. 
The  discussion  opened  by  Grotius  and  Selden 
was  taken  up  by  such  hands  as  "  Sixtinus  amana 
Com.  de  Decimis  Mos.,"  1618,  by  Spencer  in  his 
"De  Legibus  Hebrseorum,"  1727,  by  Scaliger,  in 
"  Diat.  de  Decimis,  app.  ad  Deut.  26,"  and  later  on 
by  Carpzov,^  ISTowack,^  Wellhausen,*  Driver,''  W.  K. 
Smith,  and  by  Schiirer. 

»  "  Enoyo.  Brit.,"  Art.  "  Selden  ";  w<fo  also  Art.  "  Tithe. »» 

'  App.  pp.  135,  sq.  619. 

»"  Heb.  Arohaol.,"  Vol.  II,  pp.  257-259. 

*Wellhausen,  *'Proleg.,"  pp.  156-168. 

»  "  Deuteronomy,"  pp.166-173. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     153 

The  struggle  between  Henry  YIII  and  the  Lords 
and  Commons  and  the  Church  deserves  and  must 
receive  a  treatment  all  its  own,  since  it  is  largely 
due  to  the  sacrilege  committed  by  this  monarch 
that  all  of  modern  Protestantism  is  involved  in  the 
dearth  of  the  neglected  tithe,  and  the  consequent 
empty  treasury ;  and  I  may  add  that  his  royal  acts 
were  and  are  still  in  large  measure  responsible  for 
the  fact  that  in  England  in  the  twentieth  century 
we  are  witnessing  a  struggle  between  the  Crown 
and  the  People  to  reclaim  for  the  latter  the  ecclesi- 
astical lands  escheated  to  the  lords  and  nobles  and 
the  veterans  of  royal  wars,  and  to  the  intriguing 
favorites  of  the  royal  court,  by  the  hand  and  man- 
dates of  Henry  YIII.  His  was  a  battle  royal  with 
the  People,  the  Parliament  and  the  Church,  over 
the  possession  of  the  church  lands ;  which,  as  we 
know,  comprised  before  this  about  one-half  of  all  of 
England.  Henry  forced  the  Church  to  relinquish 
its  claims  upon  vast  tracts  of  these  lands  and  in- 
stead of  restoring  them  to  the  people,  who  might 
then  have  farmed  them  in  their  own  interest,  and 
then  given  the  tithes  therefrom  in  the  Church's 
interest,  impropriated  them  to  his  own  benefit, 
enjoyed  all  the  revenues  from  them,  with  which 
he  recouped  the  royal  treasury  ;  or,  if  kingly  greed 
did  not  extend  so  far  as  his  own  person,  bestowed 
what  his  gorged  desire  did  not  want  upon  the  sol- 
diers of  his  wars,  or  upon  the  nobles  whose  fawning, 
cringing  flattery  and  servile  obedience  he  courted 
and  received. 


154  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Here  commenced,  then,  the  royal  plundering  of 
the  English  Church,  and  the  impoverishment  of  the 
Commons.  So  far  was  this  wicked  sacrilege  ex- 
tended, that  it  is  recorded  of  the  acts  of  Henry 
VIII  that  he  boldly  said  to  Parliament :  "  I  hear 
that  my  bill  (the  bill  to  give  the  English  monas- 
teries to  him)  will  not  pass,  but  I  will  have  it  pass 
or  I  will  have  some  of  your  heads."  It  passed. 
The  body  that  passed  it  was  the  Commons  of 
England;  and  the  Commons  under  George  Y,  in 
the  twentieth  century,  are  standing  at  the  door  of 
the  House  of  Lords,  that  now  in  spirit  wears  the 
mantle  of  Henry  YIII,  but,  thank  God,  without 
his  power ;  and  spite  of  the  House  of  Lords,  these 
lands  will  go  back  to  the  Commons ;  and  the  op- 
pressed poor  of  England,  of  whom  Lady  Somerset 
has  said  that  "  for  the  last  forty  years  I  have  seen 
nothing  done  for  them,"  will  be  able  at  last  to 
homestead,  by  a  new  kind  of  *'  squatter  sover- 
eignty," the  fox  range  and  the  shooting  preserves 
where  for  centuries  nobility  and  royalty  have 
amused  themselves  while  the  Commons,  many  of 
them,  starved. 

The  royal  mistake  in  the  earliest  instance  was 
the  granting  of  unlimited  tracts  of  land  to  the 
Church  instead  of  to  the  people.  Henry's  mistake 
was  in  escheating  these  lands  to  the  nobles  instead 
of  to  the  people ;  and  the  mission  of  George  Y,  a 
monarch  of  enlightenment  and  of  unblemished 
Christian  honor,  will  be  to  escheat  to  the  people 
what  has  not  been  theirs  since  the  earlier  English 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH     155 

kings  escheated  or  granted  them  to  the  Church. 
Thus  does  democracy  move  in  its  victorious  march 
around  the  world;  and  thus  are  kings  removing 
their  diadems  in  the  presence  of  the  nobility  of  the 
Commons,  crowned  the  honors  conferred  upon  them 
by  the  enlightened  Christian  statesmanship  of  the 
twentieth  century. 

To  show  how  far  the  ancient  arbitrariness  of 
Henry  extended,  I  will  append  from  Dr.  Duncan's 
excellent  little  treatise  this  table;  showing  the 
ecclesiastical  properties  confiscated  by  the  iron 
hand  and  the  capricious  and  all  too  powerful  will 
of  that  monarch : 

"  In  1536,^  all  monasteries  with  revenue  less  than 
$1,000  a  year. 

"  In  1539,  all  the  rest  of  the  monasteries  through- 
out the  kingdom. 

"  In  1540,  the  hospitals  and  churches  of  St.  John 
in  Jerusalem,  in  England,  and  Ireland. 

"  In  1545,  aU  colleges,  chapels,  chanteries,  hos- 
pitals." ' 

The  above  ecclesiastical  properties  carried  with 
them  all  the  land  attached. 

In  order  to  show  in  its  real  colors  the  glaring 
sacrilege  of  Henry  let  it  be  remembered  that  his 
predecessors  had  confirmed  to  the  Church  the 
rights  secured  and  defended  in  Magna  Charta.  In 
the  reign  of  Edward  I,  special  statutes  confirmed 
this  charter ;  and  excommunication  was  denounced 
upon  those  who  violated  the  spirit  of  the  statute ; 
*  J.  W._Dunc5an,  "  Our  Christian  Stewardship,"  p.  71. 


156  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

and  in  the  reign  of  Edward  II,  tithes  were  declared 
a  part  of  the  divine  reserve,  kept  by  the  Ahnighty 
in  token  of  His  sovereignty  in  universal  dominion/ 
William  the  Conqueror  continued  this  policy  and 
the  coronation  oath  of  succeeding  kings  confirmed 
the  statute  of  Edward  II,  solemnly  implicating 
posterity,  should  this  oath  be  broken.  This  con- 
firmation by  the  newly  crowned  continued  until 
the  Commonwealth  of  Oliver  Cromwell ;  and 
even  Henry  YIII  hypocritically  took  similar 
oath;  but  angered  because  the  clergy  opposed 
his  numerous  divorces  and  marriages,  and  because 
of  the  poverty  of  the  royal  treasury,  he  revenged 
himself  and  recouped  his  exchequer  at  one  stroke, 
by  confiscations  of  ecclesiastical  establishments,  or 
rather,  selling  the  tithes  that  were  intended  for  the 
support  of  these  establishments ;  and  this  sacri- 
lege^ commenced  in  the  reign  of  Henry  YIII^ 
has  continued  in  the  appropriation  of  ecclesias- 
tical income  throughout  Protestantism^  even  until 
now ;  hence  the  empty  treasuries  of  the  Church,  a 
Zion  that  languishes,  fields  that  are  white  unto  the 
harvest,  with  none  to  enter  hecause  the  revenues  there- 
for are  diverted  in  other  and  secular  directions. 

Church  of  the  living  God,  awake !  Princes  of 
the  earth,  restore  what  ye  have  taken  from  the 
treasuries  of  God ;  and  ye  lesser  princes,  ye  com- 
mons, give  back  to  God  His  tenth ;  and  then  let 
the  chariot  wheels  of  progress  roll  on  forever. 

After  the  assault  made  on  the  ancient  rights  of 
*  J,  W.  Duncan,  **  Oar  Christian  Stewardship,"  p.  68. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TITHE  IN  THE  CHURCH    157 

the  Church  by  Henry  YIII,  who  sold  2,388  sacred 
properties '  or  rather  the  tithes  that  supported 
them,  the  tithing  system  steadily  declined  in  Eng- 
land. The  Commutation  Act  of  1836  makes  the 
tithe  in  England  of  historical  interest,  chiefly,  since 
at  that  time  all  lands  were  discharged  from  tithe, 
and  a  rent-charge  substituted.  This  ultimately  fell 
upon  the  landlord.  One-third  of  all  the  tithes  of 
England  passed  in  recent  times  into  the  hands  of  lay- 
men. Tithes  are  now  payable  by  aU,  in  the  Church 
of  England  or  out  of  it.  There  are  special  enact- 
ments for  Catholics  and  Quakers. 

In  France,  the  National  Assembly  in  1789 
destroyed  all  legal  claims  the  Church  may  have 
had  upon  the  tithe,  except  those  which  the  Bible 
contains,  by  rescinding  all  French  statutes  relating 
thereto. 

And  so  the  general  sacrilege  goes  steadily  on, 
while  the  most  heart-breaking  appeals  come  from 
the  fields,  as  witness  this  fresh  deliverance  from  the 
lips  of  Bishop  W.  F.  McDowell : 

"  Another  dominant  impression  is  that  the  field 
is  undermanned,  that  our  present  force  is  inade- 
quate, that  our  missionaries  are  compelled  to  spend 
too  much  time  and  strength  obtaining  money  to 
carry  on  their  work  that  this  constant  strain  upon 
them  in  large  part  takes  them  out  of,  and  unfits 
them  for,  their  own  highest  and  best,  most  direct 
missionary  service,  and  that  the  kingdom  of  God 
in  India  would  be  made  glad  if  all  ^  special  givers ' 

*  Duncan,  '  *  Our  Christian  Stewardship,"  p.  72. 


168  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

at  home  should  send  word  to  all  missionaries  that 
they  need  not  write  any  more  appeals  for  ten 
years,  and  that  all '  special  gifts '  would  be  con- 
tinued for  ten  years  and  increased  ten  per  cent,  each 
year,  so  that  the  missionaries  would  be  missionaries 
instead  of  part  missionary  and  part  agonized  and 
burdened  solicitors  of  funds.  More  than  one  con- 
fessed to  me  that  he  gave  half  his  strength  to  the 
task  of  raising  special  gifts.  And  yet  these  are 
the  men  most  competent  to  lead  India's  hosts  and 
to  guide  the  young  Church  aright.  And  the  need 
of  missionary  leadership  was  never  so  great  and  its 
opportunity  never  so  promising.  More  than  once 
as  these  men  told  me  of  their  hundreds  of  letters 
and  their  anxieties  I  said  in  my  heart,  *  Loose  them 
and  let  them  go.'  " 

1  From  a  recent  communication  to  the  religious  press. 


IX 
EOME  OE  JEEUSALEM,  WHICH! 

IT  is  plain  to  see  that,  speaking  from  the 
financial  standpoint,  the  status  of  a  Protes- 
tant minister  is  not  what  it  ought  to  be.  The 
reason  therefore  is  in  part  to  be  found  in  the  present- 
day  conception  of  his  office,  a  conception  which  is 
tinctured  somewhat  with  mediaevalism.  In  fact, 
mediaevalism  characterizes  to  a  certain  extent  all 
our  views  of  a  modern  day  ministry.  The  spirit 
of  to-day  condemns  the  preacher,  as  it  were,  to  a 
penitential  cell,  and  leaves  him  there  to  his  fate. 
His  proper  habitat  is  still  thought  by  many  to  be 
one  of  severe  asceticism.  We  have  demanded  of 
the  preacher  of  the  twentieth  century  that  he  wear 
no  haircloth  next  his  skin,  but,  metaphorically 
speaking,  we  expect  him  to  wear  it  upon  his  heart, 
his  prospects  in  life ;  and  the  shadow  of  the  cell 
still  lies  over  the  minister's  library,  his  clothes,  his 
larder,  his  spending  of  money,  or  rather,  over  the 
money  which  ought  to  be  his  to  spend. 

In  the  Independent^  that  well-known  religious 
journal  published  in  New  York  City,  it  was  noticed 
editorially  not  long  ago  that,  in  response  to  a  letter 
of  inquiry  sent  out  from  that  office,  forty  per  cent. 
of  the  preachers  consulted,  on  being  asked  if  they 

169 


160  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

would  enter  the  ministry,  if  they  had  it  to  do  over 
again,  answered,  "  JSTo."  When  men  will  chorus  a 
negative  in  this  manner,  forty  out  of  a  hundred, 
there  is  something  radically  wrong  in  the  conditions 
with  which  they  have  had  to  contend;  and  the 
wrong  in  the  case  is  the  monasticism,  the  spirit 
of  the  cloister,  that  still  obtains  in  Protestantism, 
making  the  rewards  and  emoluments  of  the  minis- 
terial office  in  the  majority  of  cases  mean  and 
contemptible,  and  which  insult  the  manhood  issu- 
ing from  the  colleges  and  theological  seminaries 
by  offering  them  a  meagre  stipend  instead  of 
comfortable  support, — a  so-called  "  salary  "  which 
would  be  looked  upon  with  supreme  disgust  by  a 
"New  York  hod  carrier.  The  recent  returns  of 
the  United  States  Census  enumerators  make  it 
clear  that  the  average  salary  of  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  United  states  is  only  the  miserable 
pittance  of  $665  per  annum.  Taking  the  Method- 
ists as  an  example,  the  average  wage  of  a  man 
in  the  ministerial  ranks  is  about  $800  per  annum  ; 
and  in  this  average  is  included  the  wage  of  the 
highest  paid  pulpits  throughout  the  connection. 
The  average  graded  school  janitors  in  the  city 
get  more  at  least  by  $200  than  does  the  average 
preacher ;  and  what  is  worse,  the  preacher,  unlike 
the  janitor,  in  many  instances  does  not  get  his  pay 
by  the  month  and  promptly,  coming  by  fits  and 
starts,  and  in  bulk,  if  at  all,  at  the  end  of  the  year. 
Cases  of  this  kind  are  more  common  than  is 
generally  supposed.    Perhaps  ten  or  eleven  months 


ROME  OR  JERUSALEM,  WHICH?  161 

of  privation  have  preceded  a  feeble  effort  to  secure 
the  preacher's  pay  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and 
then,  by  reason  of  the  unbusinesslike  character  of 
the  whole  proceeding,  and  the  "  wait "  in  the  case, 
the  salary  so  badly  needed  is  not  gathered  at  all. 
When  the  Church  with  a  full  purse,  a  purse  in 
fact  that  is  bursting  with  wealth  that  is  yet  in  the 
pockets  of  its  laity,  oifers  the  average  wage  of 
$665  per  annum,  she  stultifies  her  opportunity,  and 
insults  beyond  recall  the  manhood  of  the  men  who 
have  a  right  to  expect  her  support ;  and  be  it  re- 
membered that  the  average  $665  of  salary  in 
1910  has  only  half  the  purchasing  power  it  had  in 
1900.  The  rise  in  the  price  of  leathers,  woollens 
and  foodstuffs  in  that  period  of  time  makes  it 
impossible  for  a  man  to  live  upon  the  income  of 
the  decade  preceding  the  last.  Any  one  can  satisfy 
himself  .  of  the  truth  of  the  above  figures  by 
examining  "  Bradstreet's."  The  young  men  com- 
ing out  of  the  colleges  and  seminaries  and  univer- 
sities, seeing  the  high  cost  of  living,  seeing  also  the 
miserable  pittance  that  is  offered  them,  do  perfectly 
right  in  refusing  entrance  into  the  ranks  of  men 
under  a  taskmistress  who  insists  that  they  make 
bricks  without  straw  ;  for  certainly  the  brick  of 
good  ministerial  service  cannot  be  made  without 
the  straw  of  comfortable  clerical  support. 

Again  :  With  an  insufficient  salary,  the  minister's 
life  is  perilous  to  reputation,  to  health,  and  to  the 
future  of  his  growing  family,  if  a  family  he  is 
destined  to  have.    He  must  maintain  it  on  a  wago 


162  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

which  will  not  cover  the  cost  of  living, — a  cost 
that  in  these  days  of  food-trusts  and  combines  is 
going  all  the  time  higher  and  higher.  Bradstreet 
shows  that  the  prices  of  cloth  and  leather  in  the 
last  ten  years  have  gone  up  fifty  per  cent.,  and  the 
observations  of  everybody  show  plainly  enough 
that  the  salaries  of  the  ministry  for  the  last  ten 
years  have  remained  practically  stationary ;  in 
other  words,  that  the  purchasing  power  of  a  dollar 
has  lessened  one-half,  which  means  that  so  far  as 
economic  results  go,  clergymen's  salaries  are  just 
half  what  they  were  a  decade  since.  These  are 
facts  that  provoke  anxious  thought,  and  which 
cry  loudly  for  the  righting  of  the  great  wrong  in- 
volved. 

The  minister  who  works  at  inadequate  salary 
takes  a  grave  risk  to  himself,  through  very  possible 
inability  to  avoid  debt,  or  to  pay  debt  when  it  is 
contracted  :  in  other  words,  he  is  putting  his  neck 
into  the  halter  of  peril  to  his  good  name.  One 
young  man  of  our  acquaintance  in  a  certain  re- 
ligious denomination,  driven  into  a  financial  corner 
through  the  neglect  of  his  people  who  were  abun- 
dantly able  to  make  it  otherwise,  said;  "I  was 

honest  until  I  became  a  preacher."    The 

blank  does  not  represent  a  profane  word,  but 
stands  for  the  name  of  the  denomination  in  the 
ranks  of  the  ministry  of  which  this  young  man 
was  serving. 

The  minister  who  works  with  inadequate 
wage  deprives  his  children  of    God-given  oppor- 


ROME  OR  JERUSALEM,  WHICH?  163 

tunities  and  privileges,  and  thus  makes  certain  the 
perpetration  of  a  crime  against  childhood.  Their 
life,  instead  of  being  full-orbed  and  care-free,  is 
one  that  at  best  reminds  us  of  the  tragic  stories  one 
hears  from  the  factories  where  overtime  and 
meagre  wage  have  deprived  children,  grown  pre- 
maturely old,  of  the  health,  the  vivacity  of  spirits, 
and  the  outlook  which  God  meant  that  they  should 
have. 

I  have  said  above  that  the  spirit  of  mediaeval- 
ism  is  upon  our  thinking  with  regard  to  the  min- 
istry. Let  us  prove  it  further.  The  notion  which 
I  do  not  find  to  be  altogether  uncommon  is  that  a 
preacher  must  necessarily  take  upon  himself  the 
greatest  hardships  in  taking  up  his  work.  Why 
hardships  ?  You  cannot  find  that  kind  of  a  scheme 
provided  for  the  Levitical  ministry.  It  is  not  in 
the  Bible.  Hardships  in  a  pioneer  country,  far 
from  the  railways  and  from  the  refinements  of 
civilization,  as  a  matter  of  course,  are  to  be  ex- 
pected and  endured. 

But  such  hardships  would  be  criminal  in  a  part 
of  the  country  which  has  for  the  laity  all  the 
comforts  which  they  would  deny  their  pastors. 
These  hardships  are  especially  culpable  if  they 
occur  as  the  result  of  the  indifference  or  the 
neglect  of  parishioners.  The  writer  knows  of  one 
instance  in  Illinois  where  a  minister  and  his  wife, 
living  in  a  ramshackle  parsonage,  in  a  neighbor- 
hood where  wealth  ran  up  into  millions,  and  where 
the  parishioners  steadily  neglected  the  Just  claims 


164:  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

of  their  pastor,  sat  up  one  bitterly  cold  day,  in 
their  kitchen,  with  heavy  winter  wraps  on,  by  the 
side  of  a  red  hot  stove,  unable  to  keep  warm  in 
spite  of  wraps  and  in  spite  of  stove ;  and  the  wife 
was,  in  a  week  or  two,  dead  from  pneumonia.  It 
is  not  for  some  one  to  say,  "  This  wife  and  her 
husband  faced  all  this  in  entering  the  ministry." 
]N"ot  so ;  but  the  criminal  neglect  which  occasioned 
this  death  is  as  reprehensible  as  the  kind  of  neglect 
which  in  sickness,  with  the  madness  of  a  Christian 
Scientist,  neglects  or  refuses  to  call  a  doctor  ;  and 
lets  the  patient  die  in  the  midst  of  what  I  would 
call  "  the  incantations  of  a  cult."  Man  after  man 
in  the  ministry  breaks  down  before  his  time,  and 
why  not?  He  superannuates,  retires,  dies  an 
object  of  pity,  and,  too  often,  an  object  of  charity 
from  a  poverty  so  abject  that  it  is  debasing.  Tam- 
erlane, building  his  pyramid  of  skulls  of  the  men  he 
had  slain,  is  not  historically  more  reprehensible 
than  that  Church  which  steadily  and  hard-heart- 
edly walks  without  repentance  in  sackcloth  and 
ashes  over  the  graves  of  the  men  she  has  underpaid 
unto  death.  Whence  came  this  spirit  of  neglect  ? 
Largely  from  the  false  belief  that  such  is  the  divine 
order,  and  such  the  divine  plan.  It  is  as  far  from 
God's  order,  as  revealed  in  His  word,  as  hell  is 
from  heaven.  A  seedy  coat  and  an  empty  larder 
are  not  the  necessary  and  God-directed  perquisites 
of  the  ministry.  By  all  that  is  good  and  holy,  out 
upon  such  a  travesty  of  divine  teaching.  As 
Whittier  said  of  the  old  grinding  law  which  could 


ROME  OR  JERUSALEM,  WHICH  ?  166 

make  a  Kevolutionary  patriot  "The  Prisoner  for 
Debt,"  we  may  say  of  this  inadequately  supported 
"  man  with  the  hoe  "  that  we  call  "  an  overworked 
and  underpaid  minister," 

"  Down  with  the  law  that  binds  him  thus, 
unworthy  freemen, 
Let  it  find  no  refuge  from  the  witheriog 
curse,  of  God  and  humankind.'^ 

Down  with  the  unholy  custom  which  neglects 
the  holy  men  of  God.  He  who  reads  the  fourth 
chapter  in  this  volume  and  then  diligently  com- 
pares this  teaching  drawn  direct  from  the  Word  of 
God  with  the  miserable  caricature  of  it  which 
obtains  in  many  parts  of  a  country  as  rich  as  the 
United  States  of  America,  will  soon  be  convinced 
that  a  far  different  state  of  things  from  the  one 
that  now  exists  is  the  divine  order.  Whence  came 
this  old  belief, — the  old  idea  that  the  man  of  God 
must  live  in  a  penitential  cell,  on  scanty  fare,  with 
a  wooden  ladle  swung  to  his  gu-dle  into  which  pity- 
ing passers-by,  in  response  to  the  dictates  of  a  swell- 
ing heart  at  the  poor  fellow's  condition,  dropped 
the  dole  of  charity  ?  The  preacher  of  to-day  may 
be,  but  he  ought  not  to  be,  an  almoner.  Circum- 
stances, hard,  hideous,  unyielding  conditions,  may 
impose  the  almoner  life  upon  him.  Mediasvalism 
made  a  man  fast  until  he  saw  devils,  as  Luther  did  ; 
or  wild,  alluring  human  forms,  as  did  St.  Anthony  ; 
or  a  devil  who  interfered  with  his  blacksmithing, 
as  was  the  case  with  the  saint  we  call  Dunstan. 


166  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Modern  psychology,  wiser  than  the  psychology  of 
old,  plainly  declares  and  proves  that  many  of  the 
so-called  "  visions  "  of  the  mediaeval  "  saints  "  were 
only  the  phantasms  of  an  overstrained  and  over- 
wrought nervous  system  in  a  body,  which,  instead 
of  being  well  fed,  has  been  wickedly  and  inhu- 
manly starved. 

Flagellation  of  this  sort  is  not  to  be  inflicted 
on  the  body,  because  the  Scriptures  declare  it 
to  be  the  "  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost "  ;  and  the 
more  blessed  and  saner  gospel  of  the  twentieth 
century,  which  is  simply  a  better  interpretation  of 
the  Gospel  which  has  been  in  the  Bible  all  the 
while,  insists  that  the  body  shall  be  well  taken  care 
of  ;  and  this  cannot  be  done  on  a  paltry  and  insig- 
nificant salary,  which  the  Church  is  able,  but  up  to 
now  has  been  too  covetous  or  too  neglectful,  to  pay. 
The  Church  has  cheapened  her  ministry,  broken 
their  spirit,  cudgelled  them  prematurely  out  of  the 
ranks  under  the  operation  of  stern  economic  laws 
which  they  could  not  strive  against,  and  inhumanly 
superannuated  them,  for  the  most  part,  without 
salary;  and  done  this  "in  all  good  conscience," 
just  as  the  Inquisitors  of  the  Holy  Office  burned, 
pinched,  racked,  stretched,  and  impaled  their  vic- 
tims, all  in  the  name  of  the  same  "  good  con- 
science "  which  made  Paul  a  terrible  persecutor  of 
the  Church ;  and  all  in  the  name  of  "  the  Crucified  " 
has  this  happened.  Christianity  must  procure  some 
other  form  of  cross  on  which  her  ministry  is  to  be 
crucified.    It  is  not  the  good,  pure,  intellectual, 


ROME  OR  JERUSALEM,  WHICH?  16Y 

holy  man  in  men  that  is  to  be  crucified.  It  is 
"the  old  man."  Not  a  cheerful,  happy  spirit,  but 
lust  is  to  be  crucified ;  and  along  with  it,  avarice, 
false  pride,  and  the  whole  lot. 

The  idea  that  a  preacher  must  he  put  upon  short 
allowance^  starved^  neglected  until  he  is  an  almoner, 
came  hy  the  way  of  Borne,  and  not  from  Jerusalem. 

This  Komish  idea  must  be  combated,  driven 
back,  to  hide  its  dragon  head  under  the  shadows  of 
the  Vatican  where  it  belongs ;  and  never  let  it  be 
preached  in  the  name  of  "the  Man  of  Galilee," 
Who  "  became  poor  that  He  might  make  many 
rich."  He  fed  the  hungry  multitudes  to  repletion ; 
Rome  would  have  thrashed  them  with  whips  and 
left  them  in  the  desert  to  fast  and  await  the 
"  visions  of  starvation." 

The  Saviour  recognized  the  great  physiological 
fact  that  the  body  is  to  be  fed,  groomed,  clothed, 
rested.  The  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  and  of 
the  seven  thousand,  proves  nothing  if  it  does  not 
prove  this ;  and  the  suggestion  in  the  incident  of 
the  man  wandering  among  the  tombs  proves  it; 
His  "  come  ye  aside  and  rest  a  while  "  spoken  in 
quiet  to  His  disciples.  His  own  periods  of  relaxation 
in  the  mountains  and  in  quiet  places,  all  prove  that 
His  was  not  a  preaching  of  a  severe  and  painful 
asceticism.  John  Wesley  was  tinctured  with  that 
false  belief  and  with  the  old  monastic  idea,  when 
he  used  to  go  with  his  brother  Charles  to  sleep  in 
an  orchard,  waking  in  the  morning  with  their  hair 
frozen  to  the  ground  and  the  rime  all  about  them. 


168  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

We  never  again  hear  of  those  nonsensical  ideas 
after  he  enters  into  the  blessing  of  regeneration, 
still  less  after  he  went  on  into  the  walks  of  "  the 
higher  life  "  of  the  soul.  He  passed  utterly  away 
from  the  formalism  which  made  trouble  for  him  in 
Georgia,  and  had  permitted  him  to  have  his  name 
upon  the  rolls  of  the  Church  without  being  a  truly 
regenerated  man. 

The  Gospel  of  the  ever-blessed  Jesus  is  a  gospel 
of  liberty ;  it  is  a  gospel  of  love  and  peace  and  joy 
and  mercy,  not  of  penitential  whipping  and  of  flesh 
irritated  by  haircloth.  It  is  a  gospel  of  hammocks, 
and  rest  cures,  and  Chautauquas,  and  of  nestlings 
down  in  quiet,  cool  places,  when  the  body,  like  the 
heart,  is  hot  and  weary ;  a  gospel  of  tennis-courts 
and  of  innocent  recreations ;  a  gospel  of  wholesome 
food  and  plenty  of  it ;  a  gospel  which  provides  its 
preachers  money  to  pay  the  butcher  and  the  grocer, 
and  anything  which  does  not  do  this  is  not  gospel ; 
a  gospel  of  comfortable  firesides,  and  of  full  coal- 
scuttles, and  books  and  friends  and  rollicking,  inno- 
cent fun  and  music,  and  communion  and  fellowship. 
The  dismal  cell,  the  penitential  scourge  and  whip, 
the  cruel  nails,  the  lacerations,  shavings,  bare- 
footedness,  hair  shirts,  nervous  rackings,  starvings 
for  food  and  sleep,  all  have  no  place  in  the  scheme 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth ;  they  never  had  any  place 
except  in  the  scheme  of  a  conscious  or  an  uncon- 
scious inquisition.  Self-denial  ?  Yes ;  but  not  of 
a  kind  which  violates  the  laws  of  health  and  neg- 
lects the  wholesome  care  of  the  body.    Oross-bear- 


ROME  OR  JERUSALEM,  WHICH?  169 

ing?  Yes;  but  not  of  the  kind  that  tears  one's 
flesh  with  the  ignorant  abandon  of  an  Indian  in  a 
sun-dance.  Walking  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ? 
Yes,  not  forgetting  that  the  footsteps  of  Christ 
lead  us  to  the  rest  and  quiet  of  the  mountains,  the 
recreation  of  the  fishing-boat  and  the  fish-hook  and 
net,  out  among  the  lilies^  of  the  fields,  out  where 
run  the  foxes,  where  fly  the  birds,  and  where  the 
glorious  heaven,  and  not  a  patch  through  a  cell 
wall,  can  be  seen ;  remembering,  too,  that  the  foot- 
steps of  Jesus  lead  us  into  the  quiet,  peaceful  and 
happy  household  at  Bethany  and  into  the  midst  of 
the  rollicking  and  the  merrymaking,  of  the  fast  and 
furious  Oriental  fun  always  customary  in  Jewish 
and  Arabian  weddings  of  His  day,  and  which  He 
found  rollicksome  and  merry  enough  in  the  wed- 
ding in  Cana  of  Galilee. 

When  the  Church  comes  to  the  full  realization  of 
the  truth  of  what  has  just  been  said,  she  will  pen- 
sion with  honors  emeritus  all  her  retired  ministry, 
after  they  have  been  kept  on  comfortable  salaries 
through  the  years  of  their  activity ;  salaries  that 
have  placed  and  will  continue  to  place  them  above 
anxiety  during  the  evening  time,  which  shall  be 
light.  She  will  not  only  pension  them,  but  increase 
their  salaries  many  fold,  fill  their  larders  with  the 
repletion  of  the  olden  days  at  Jerusalem  and  in  the 
Levitical  cities ;  provide  them  with  farms  in  old 
age,  like  unto  the  Levitical  glebe ;  salary  them  until 
their  libraries  will  be  enriched  by  yearly  expendi- 
tures   for    books  ^oing  up  beyond  the  hundred 


170  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

dollars  every  year,  thus  keeping  the  mind  fresh 
until  scores  of  them,  superannuated  twenty  years 
later  than  fifty,  will  preserve,  like  Theodore  Cuyler, 
their  intellectual  acumen  and  freshness  down  to  the 
very  last  weeks  of  a  more  than  threescore  years 
and  ten. 

But  this  cannot  be  until  "  God's  Financial  Plan  " 
is  adhered  to,  and  until  there  is  recognized  the  wis- 
dom and  the  ever  binding  force  of 

'' The  Law  of  the  Tithe:' 


AN  INSTANCE  OF  BIBLE  GIVING 

IN  painful  contrast  with  the  poverty  of  the  ex- 
chequer in  the  case  of  so  many  churches,  and 
having  in  mind  the  straits  to  which  so  many 
of  them  have  been  reduced  in  bringing  things  to 
pass,  let  me  place  several  instances  of  Bible  giving, 
to  show  the  spontaneousness,  the  easy  liberality, 
and  the  cornucopia  abundance  of  the  latter.  One 
of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  cases  is  found  in 
Exodus  XXXV.  21-29,  in  response  to  the  call  sent 
out  by  Moses  for  materials  to  build  the  tabernacle. 
The  call  is  found  in  the  fifth  verse  of  the  chapter 
named  and  is  as  follows  :  "  Take  ye  from  among  you 
an  offering  unto  the  Lord :  whosoever  is  of  a  will- 
ing heart,  let  him  bring  it,  an  offering  unto  the 
Lord."  To  show  how  general  was  the  call  and  how 
the  very  materials  to  be  given  were  of  the  most 
varying  description  and  the  greatest  variety,  I  sub- 
join the  names  of  the  things  desired,  putting  them 
into  columnar  setting,  so  that  the  extent  of  the 
call,  and  the  response  thereto  may  be  the  better 
grasped  and  realized. 
The  articles  called  for : 

Gold, 

Silver, 

Brass, 

171 


172  '        THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Blue, 

Purple, 

Scarlet, 

Fine  linens. 

Goats'  hair, 

Earns'  skins  dyed  red, 

Badgers'  skins, 

Shittim  (acacia)  wood, 

Oil  for  the  light, 

Spices  for  anointing  oil, 

And  for  sweet  incense, 

Onyx  stones, 

Stones  for  the  ephod. 

And  for  the  breastplate. 

Labor    in    making    the  following  articles  was 
called  for,  as  follows : 

The  tabernacle, 

Its  tent, 

Its  covering, 

Taches, 

Boards, 

Bars, 

Pillars, 

Sockets, 

The  ark  and  its  staves. 

The  mercy  seat, 

The  vail  of  the  covering. 

Table  and  its  staves. 

Vessels, 

Shewbread  table, 

Candlestick  and  its  lamps, 

Incense  altar  and  staves, 

Oil  for  light  and  anointing, 

Sweet  incense, 


AN  INSTANCE  OF  BIBLE  GIVING         173 

Hanging  for  the  tabernacle  door, 

Altar  of  burnt  offering, 

Vessels  thereof, 

Laver, 

Hangings  of  the  court, 

Pillars, 

Their  sockets, 

Hangings  for  the  door  of  the  court, 

Pins  of  the  tabernacle. 

Pins  of  the  court. 

Their  cords, 

The  cloths  of  the  service. 

The  holy  garments  of  Aaron  the  priest, 

The  garments  of  his  sons. 

Here,  then,  we  have  carpenters,  workers  in  brass, 
silversmiths,  goldsmiths,  dyers,  tailors,  an  army. 
It  will  be  seen  from  the  most  casual  examination  of 
the  above  that  the  tabernacle  was  to  be  a  complete 
free  will  offering.  When  perfect  in  every  detail, 
finished  beyond  criticism,  and  ready  for  the  invasion 
of  the  divine  glory,  the  tabernacle  was  designed 
to  stand  as  a  gift  in  all  its  parts  and  in  all  the 
labors  connected  with  its  building.  It  was  de- 
signed to  be  a  spontaneous  and  bountiful  free  will 
offering,  and  none  of  the  workmen  connected  with 
the  enterprise  were  to  be  paid.  It  was  to  be 
solely  and  entirely  a  labor  of  love,  l^ow  mark  the 
sequel : 

This  is  graphically  told  in  verse  21.  The  note  of 
ringing  invitation  in  the  call  provoked  a  response 
as  the  \dbration  of  a  golden  wire  in  the  harp  of  a 
princely  player,  when  he  strikes  his  instrument 


174  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

with  skilled  and  willing  fingers.  "  And  they  came." 
The  response  was  instantaneous,  as  shown  by  the 
simple  and  straightforward  language  of  the  story. 
It  was  not  necessary  to  hold  preliminary  official 
board  meetings,  nor  to  send  out  canvassing  com- 
mittees. The  uprising  was  an  inundation.  It  is 
said  of  Sherman's  army  in  the  March  to  the  Sea, 
that  there  were  in  that  body  of  men  those 
who  were  from  all  ranks  and  callings  in  life ; 
and  whether  it  was  to  operate  a  printing-press, 
get  a  learned  decision  in  law,  set  up  a  college 
faculty,  or  run  a  daily  paper,  all  Sherman  had  to 
do  was  to  announce  that  there  was  a  certain  task 
to  be  accomplished,  call  for  volunteers,  and  in- 
stantly any  number  of  men  desired  would  step 
forth  from  the  ranks,  fully  equipped  for  the  work 
in  hand,  and  burning  with  the  desire  to  demonstrate 
their  fitness  for  the  task.  It  would  have  been  easy 
for  him  at  any  time  to  have  set  a  body  of  men 
translating  the  Bible  from  the  ancient  languages  of 
its  composition,  performing  chemical  experiments, 
rendering  law  decisions,  refining  silver  or  gold, 
building  bridges,  observing  the  stars,  making 
astronomical  calculations,  or  doing  anything  else 
that  belongs  to  American,  or  any  other  civilization. 
His  army  was  our  republic  on  foot,  on  horseback 
and  on  wheels.  So  with  the  army  of  Moses.  He 
could  call  for  any  kind  of  labor,  skilled  or  un- 
skilled, or  for  the  performance  of  any  kind  of  work 
requiring,  for  instance,  the  delicate  touch  and  the 
artistic  fancy  of  goldsmiths  and  jewellers,  and  the 


AK  INSTANCE  OF  BIBLE  GIVING         lY5 

work  would  soon  be  done,  just  to  his  liking.  "  And 
they  came  every  one  whose  heart  stirred  him  up, 
and  every  one  whom  his  spirit  made  willing,  and 
they  brought  the  Lord's  offering  to  the  work  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  for  all  His  serv- 
ice, and  for  the  holy  garments.  And  they  came, 
both  men  and  women,  as  many  as  were  willing 
hearted  and  brought 

.  "  Bracelets,  Tablets, 

Earrings,  Jewels  of  gold. 

Rings, 

And  every  man  that  offered  offered  an  offering  of 
gold  unto  the  LordP 

The  spontaneous  uprising  of  Germany  to  provide 
gifts  for  the  expense  of  the  war  against  Napoleon, 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
the  Fatherland  brought  out  their  heirlooms,  keep- 
sakes and  hoarded  money  to  provide  means  to 
checkmate  the  invader,  is  a  modern  instance 
strongly  resembling  the  gift-bringing  of  the  Israel- 
ites in  response  to  Moses'  call.  The  best,  the  most 
precious,  even  the  whole  store  of  hoarded  wealth, 
was  not  too  much  for  them  to  offer  to  the  Lord,  in 
response  to  a  call  that  had  never  before  been  heard, 
but  which  suggested  and  implied  to  them  a  new 
manifestation  of  the  glory  of  God,  which  must  be 
met  with  a  giving  such  as  the  world  up  to  that  time 
had  never  witnessed. 

But  the  matter  did  not  end  with  the  giving  of 
jewels  and  gold,  for  it  is  said  : 


176  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

"  And  every  man  with  whom  was  found 

"  Blue,  Goats'  hair, 

Purple,  Red  skins  of  rams, 

Scarlet,  Badgers'  skins, 
Fine  linen, 

hr ought  iheTnP 

All  of  the  last  named  things  were  not  common, 
but  were  rarities,  many  of  them  difficult  to  procure, 
and  the  purple  and  scarlet  and  fine  linen  were 
materials  such  as  royalty  then  used,  and,  in  many 
instances,  could  not  be  found  except  among  princes, 
or  at  least  among  the  wealthy  and  the  noble.  But 
these  gifts  were  not  too  precious  to  be  offered  in 
the  magnificent  enterprise  that  had  so  strongly 
gripped  the  sympathies  of  the  whole  Hebrew  host. 

"And  every  one  that  did  offer  an  offering  of 
silver  and  brass  brought  the  Lord's  offering :  and 
every  man  with  whom  was  found 

"  Shittim  (acacia)  wood 

for  any  work  of  the  service  brought  it." 

The  most  precious  things  seem  to  have  been 
thought  of  first;  and  things  of  secondary  .value 
were  brought  in  as  an  afterthought.  The  wood 
spoken  of  was  of  the  rarest  that  could  be  found  in 
the  regions  through  which  they  were  passing ;  and 
pieces  of  it  were  doubtless  brought  as  a  part  of  the 
spoil  from  Egypt ;  or  what  is  more  probable,  cer- 
tain articles  of  furniture  had  been  fetched  from 
that  country  in  the  original  Exodus  passage  over 
the  Red  Sea.    And  the  skilled  workmen  in  the 


AN  INSTANCE  OF  BIBLE  GIVING         177 

host  would  not  fail  to  bring  with  them  materials 
unwrought. 

All  that  goes  before  in  this  chapter  is  but  the 
story  of  a  movement  among  the  Hebrew  men; 
but  the  excitement  and  enthusiasm  of  the  hour 
succeeding  Moses'  caU  extended  itself  no  less 
devoutly  and  willingly  among  the  Hebrew  women, 
for  we  read : 

"  And  all  the  women  that  were  wise  hearted  did 
spin  with  their  hand  and  brought  that  which  they 
had  spun ; 

"Blue,  Scarlet, 

Purple,  Fine  linen." 

The  wisdom  of  which  the  distaff  is  supposed  to 
be  the  symbol  had  its  examples  among  these 
daughters  of  Jacob.  One  can  hear  the  music  of 
the  spinning-wheels  of  those  olden  times,  fifteen 
hundred  years  before  Christ,  among  those  old 
world  housewives  who  dwelt  in  tents.  The  life  of 
the  wilderness  journey  to  Canaan  hummed  with 
the  industry  of  the  busy  bees  of  enthusiastic  hu- 
man faith.  They  took  the  black  goats'  hair  and 
used  it  for  the  materials  of  their  spinning.  In  the 
days  of  St.  Paul,  the  same  goats'  hair  was  used 
in  the  desert  as  well  as  in  the  refined  seats  of  the 
civilization  that  he  knew  ;  for  he  made  tent  cover- 
ings out  of  it  with  his  own  hands.'  Goats'  hair 
was  real  wealth  to  the  Israelite  in  all  that  it  afforded 
him. 

»Geikie's  *'  Hours  with  the  Bible,"  Vol.  VII,  pp.  316-317. 


178  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

The  movement  among  the  Hebrew  men  and 
women  was  the  counterpart  of  a  similar  one  among 
the  rulers ;  only  with  this  distinction,  that  the 
offerings  brought  by  the  latter  were  of  a  splendor 
commensurate  with  their  rank  and  with  their 
wealth  ;  for  they  brought 

Onyx  stones, 

Stones  to  be  set  in  ephod  and  breastplate, 

Spices, 

Oil  for  the  light. 

Anointing  oil. 

And  oil  for  the  sweet  incense. 

Among  the  great  host  that  journeyed  up  from 
Egypt  were  a  multitude  of  Jews  that  showed  the 
same  thrift  that  they  show  to-day ;  secretive,  per- 
haps from  necessity,  on  account  of  the  need  for 
secrecy  due  to  persecution ;  but  the  shrewd  Hebrew 
mind  that  delights  in  traffic  and  gain,  and  happily 
for  itself  had  the  faculty  of  simulating  outward 
poverty  while  possessing  hidden  wealth ;  and  out 
of  the  treasures  acquired  in  Egypt,  and  brought 
out  of  their  hiding  place  after  the  commencement 
of  the  Exodus,  were  these  "  onyx  stones,  stones  to 
be  set  in  ephod  and  breastplate,"  and  among  them 
were  probably  diamonds,  emeralds,  sapphires,  rubies, 
and  all  the  galaxy  of  gems  known  to  ancient  com- 
merce and  to  ancient  art.  But  these  treasures 
came  up  in  the  offering  of  the  rulers  as  spontane- 
ously and  abundantly  as  the  waves  of  the  sea. 

In  general,  as  a  final  stroke  of  description,  it 
is  said  that  "  the  children  of  Israel  brought  a  will- 


AN  INSTANCE  OF  BIBLE  GIVING  179 

ing  offering  unto  the  Lord,  every  man  and  every 
woman,  whose  heart  made  them  willing  to  bring, 
for  all  manner  of  work  which  the  Lord  had  com- 
manded by  Moses  to  be  made."  In  fact,  some  of 
the  finest  and  quaintest  touches  in  all  human 
literature  are  to  be  found  in  this  old  Book  of 
Exodus,  written  a  millennium  and  a  half  before 
Christ,  and  a  thousand  years  before  the  time  of 
Socrates,  thirteen  hundred  years  before  Alexander 
the  Great,  fourteen  hundred  years  before  Julius 
Caesar,  and  fifteen  hundred  years  before  Augustus 
attained  the  zenith  of  his  fame  and  the  glory  of 
his  empire.  Talk,  if  we  will,  about  the  mono- 
syllabic nervousness  of  the  Anglo-Saxon ;  yet  the 
quaint  Hebrew  monosyllables  and  dissyllables, 
which  describe  the  doings  of  Moses  and  of  this 
company  of  enthusiastic  bringers  of  gifts  to  God, 
outclass  the  best  compositions  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
period,  and  in  interest  and  simple  beauty  rival, 
if  they  do  not  surpass,  the  pure  English  of  quaint 
John  Bunyan. 

The  gifts  continued  to  pile  up  in  the  treasury 
from  day  to  day,  for  it  is  said : 

"  And  they  brought  yet  unto  him  free  offerings 
every  morning. 

"And  all  the  wise  men  that  wrought  all  the 
work  of  the  sanctuary  came  every  man  from  his 
work  which  they  made ;  and  they  spake  unto 
Moses  saying,  '  The  people  bring  much  more  than 
enoicgh  for  the  service  of  the  worh^  which  the  Lord 
comtruinded  to  make.''  "    Contrast  this  if  you  please 


180  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

with  the  niggardly  giving  which  compels  the  min- 
ister of  God  in  building  any  of  the  modern  churches 
to  beg  and  work  and  pray  and  pray  and  work, 
often  under  such  circumstances  as  to  lessen  his 
self-respect,  prolonging  this  process  quite  often 
through  a  series  of  years  which  carry  with  them 
interest-bearing  notes,  iron-clad  bonds,  threatened  or 
actual  foreclosures,  misunderstandings,  heartaches, 
mourning  among  the  covetous,  separated  from 
their  money  and  bereaved  of  a  part  of  their  bank 
account,  removals  of  pastors  to  other  charges  as 
the  result.  Whisper  it  not  in  Gath,  tell  it  not  in 
the  streets  of  Askelon,  but  it  is  an  open  secret 
among  ministers  that  he  who  builds  a  church  or  a 
parsonage,  as  a  rule  to  which  there  are  some  ex- 
ceptions, loses  his  job  ;  and  why  ?  Because  of  the 
colossal  covetousness  which  disgraces  the  Church 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  preacher  goes  on 
through  all  the  gamut  of  human  grudging  and 
stinginess  with  many  bright  examples  of  the  reverse 
to  cheer  him ;  and  then  at  last,  perhaps  heart-broken 
and  prematurely  gray,  the  servant  of  God,  too 
faithful  in  the  performance  of  his  thankless  task, 
like  an  overburdened  and  weary  pack  animal,  lies 
down  in  a  premature  grave.  IS'ot  so  is  this  noble 
instance  of  Hebrew  giving  that  we  have  been  con- 
sidering. "  They  brought  yet  unto  him  free  offer- 
ings every  morning."  "The  people,"  was  the  com- 
plaint, "  bring  more  than  enough  for  the  service 
of  the  work^^ ;  and  this,  before  the  labor  of  the 
actual  construction  of  the  tabernacle  was  very  far 


AN  INSTANCE  OF  BIBLE  GIVING  181 

advanced,  perhaps  even  before  all  the  materials 
were  actually  assembled  on  the  ground.  And  it 
had  to  be  cried  to  the  spontaneous  givers,  "  Stop, 
stop,  you  overwhelm  us.  Stop,  there  is  more  than 
enough.  Stop,  we  cannot  possibly  use  all  you  are 
bringing  us.  Stop,"  or,  to  use  the  parlance  of  the 
homely  English  Scriptures:  "And  Moses  gave 
commandment  and  they  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed 
throughout  the  camp,  saying,  Let  neither  man  nor 
woman  make  any  more  work  for  the  offering  of 
the  sanctuary.  So  the  ^people  were  restramed^^ 
(spare  the  mark),  restrained,  caught  and  held 
back,  forcibly  detained  from  any  more  offering, 
stopped  by  interference  of  the  bailiff,  as  it  werej 
served  with  injunction  from  the  Court  of  High 
Heaven.  Even  with  this  interference  from  Moses  it 
is  said : 

"So  the  people  were  restrained  from  bringing. 
For  the  stuff  they  had  was  suffi^cient  for  all  the 
worh  to  malce  it^  and  too  muchP ' 

As  a  fitting  finale  for  all  this  giving  of  so  over- 
whelming a  description,  we  are  told  that  at  the 
dedication  of  the  tabernacle  the  princes  offered 
twelve  chargers  of  silver  (120  shekels,  $600.00),=* 
twelve  silver  bowls  (2,400  shekels,  $12,000.00),' 
twelve  bullocks,  twelve  rams,  twelve  lambs,  twelve 
kids,  twenty-four  bullocks,  for  a  peace  offering, 
sixty  rams  for  the  same  purpose,  likewise  sixty 
lambs.     The  whole  series  closes  with  bursts  of 

*Ex.  xxxvi.  4-7. 

"  Modern  purchasing  power,  approximately.  ^Ihi^. 


182  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

rejoicing  from  the  people,  the  joy  of  whom  had 
resounded  continually  through  the  camp  during  the 
process  of  the  uprearing  of  the  tabernacle ;  and 
in  a  climax  of  Oriental  enthusiasm,  they  watched 
for  the  appearing  of  the  glory  which  was  to  be 
a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  a  pillar  of  fire  by 
night ;  and  there  was  to  be,  and  there  came  over  the 
mercy  seat  of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  another 
glory  on  which  only  Moses'  own  eyes  could  look, 
and  which  he  could  not  behold  except  through 
a  cloud  of  incense,  after  sprinkling  between  the 
door  of  the  Holy  of  Holies  and  the  Ark  seven 
times  with  the  blood  of  a  bullock ;  and  all  this 
divine  manifestation  came,  not  as  the  climax  of  a 
series  of  meetings  or  revivals  as  modern  day  par- 
lance would  describe  them,  but  as  the  climax  of  a 
series  of  givings, — givings  so  spontaneous  that  there 
is  nothing  just  like  them  to  be  discovered  in  the 
pages  of  all  history  ;  and  no  book  except  Holy  Writ 
has,  either  in  the  incidents  or  the  language,  such 
things  as  obtain  in  the  annals  of  Hebrew  giving. 
Mayhap  they  shall  be  parallelled  again,  after  the 
annals  of  human  generosity  have  been  completed 
for  this  earth,  in  the  light  of  a  better  understood 
and  better  unfolded  gospel. 

This  will  be  the  day  when  men  have  been  re- 
stored to  their  obedience  to  The  Law  of  the 
Tithe. 


XI 

TITHING  VEESUS  CHUECH  FAIES,  DINNEES, 
AND  SUPPEES 

THEEE  is  a  growing  feeling  nowadays 
that  the  modern  church  has  need  of  a 
deal  of  teaching  on  the  subject  of  free 
and  voluntary  giving.  Some  churches  have  de- 
generated into  mere  lunch  counters,  with  ice-cream 
dessert,  and  oysters  for  variety  when  the  weather 
verges  towards  the  coldest.  Amusing  it  is  to  hear 
the  weather  prognostications,  and  the  Weather 
Bureau  of  Uncle  Sam  never  had  more  zealous 
observers  of  meteorological  conditions  (for  a  little 
while)  than  are  the  zealous  advocates  of  oysters  or 
ice-cream  when  the  supper  or  festival  is  on.  What 
an  anxious  scansion  of  the  sky,  what  a  peering  from 
up-stair  windows  to  view  the  heavens,  what  a  test- 
ing of  the  temperature,  and  the  "  feel "  of  the  air 
to  decide  whether  it  will  be  hot  enough  to  dispose 
of  just  the  right  number  of  gallons  of  frozen  milk 
euphemistically  called  "  cream  "  ;  or,  if  there  is  an 
excess  of  good  fortune,  of  real  cream,  disposed  of  at 
"  ten  cents  per  dish,  straight."  Then  the  cake,  after 
some  days  of  work  by  a  committee,  and  many 
earnest  whispered  or  audible  conferences  as  to  what 
will  tickle  the  largest  number  of  palates,  stands  ia 

183 


184  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

all  its  glory  of  icing  or  chocolate  decoration,  meant 
to  add  to  the  contents  of  the  exchequer  of  the 
church,  provided  it  is  not  gobbled  up  or  down  by 
some  bumpkin  or  other  who  does  not  understand 
that  seven  or  eight  pieces  of  cake,  devoured  by  one 
customer,  diminishes  shamefully  the  profits  of  the 
undertaking. 

We  were  told  at  the  late  convention  of  laymen 
at  Omaha  that  in  one  church  in  Pennsylvania,  where 
church  fairs  and  suppers  were  common,  an  old 
goose  figured  in  the  assets  as  a  possible  source  of 
revenue ;  for  the  full  history  of  this  most  impor- 
tant and  much  vexed  old  goose  is  instructive. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  made  money  from  certain 
transactions  with  this  old  goose,  doubtless  an  ill- 
tempered  old  creature,  that,  if  endowed  with  all  the 
wisdom  of  goosedom,  could  never  guess  why  it  had 
been  tied  up  by  the  leg  in  such  an  unchristian 
manner.  Shame  on  the  church  which  is  obliged,  or 
imagines  it  is  obliged,  to  support  itself  in  this 
manner.  It  will  hobble  along  through  the  years, 
lame  in  its  religious  life,  lame  in  its  misconception 
of  a  church's  mission  which  such  an  episode  always 
creates,  and  lowered  from  that  high  plane  of  giving 
for  the  love  and  glory  of  God  to  the  plane  of  the 
baldest  and  merest  theological  shoddy  ism.  Who  can 
form  real  Scriptural  ideas  of  giving  with  such  a 
nonsensical  object  lesson  before  him  ?  An  example 
like  that  burlesques  Christianity,  and  puts  a  buffoon 
in  place  of  a  real  giver,  at  the  same  time  displacing 
the  offering  which  comes  "  of  free  will." 


TITHING  VERSUS  CHURCH  FAIRS,  DINNERS    185 

There  is  an  idea  in  the  modern  church,  which 
grows  apace,  and  will  not  down  with  the  lapse  of 
years,  but  on  the  contrary  gains  strength  from 
their  flight,  which  is,  that  all  methods  of  raising 
money,  except  by  proportionate  giving,  are  un- 
scriptural  and  unholy.  Grab-bags,  ice-cream  fes- 
tivals, soup-suppers  and  the  like  are  nonsensical 
and  unnecessary,  a  sort  of  giving  which  loads  a 
cannon  to  shoot  a  fly,  and  which,  in  proportion  to 
the  amount  of  time  and  trouble  consumed,  give 
inadequate  and  vexatiously  small  returns.  If  half 
the  energy  now  expended  on  trouble-making 
suppers  were  spent  in  vigorously  canvassing  for 
God  and  for  His  work,  it  would  so  far  surpass  the 
lunch-counter  method  in  material  results  and  in 
spiritual  blessings  received,  that  the  lunch-counter 
method  would  never  be  heard  of  again,  save  as  it 
was  dug  up  as  a  relic  from  the  ecclesiastical  scrap- 
heap  by  some  old  person  jokingly  reminiscent  of 
other  days. 

The  strongest  argument,  it  seems  to  the  writer, 
that  can  be  brought  against  socials  and  suppers 
used  in  place  of  voluntary  giving,  is  that  the  sub- 
stitute destroys  the  spirit  of  real  liberality,  and 
takes  away  the  joy  fulness  of  the  happy,  hilarious 
giver  of  which  the  Scripture  speaks.  The  argument 
is  going  abroad  and  is  gaining  force  that  the  Bible 
tithe  ought  to  be  established  throughout  the 
Church,  and  that  these  secondary  means  of  raising 
money  ought  to  be  forever  destroyed  and  discarded 
and  forgotten. 


186  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

Think  of  ancient  Israel  gathering  around  two 
or  three  thousand  grab-bags  to  start  a  fund  for 
building  the  tabernacle,  of  King  Solomon,  in 
all  the  glory  of  royal  robes  and  golden  crown, 
waving  his  sceptre  jubilantly  over  a  thousand 
tables  where  ice-cream  is  being  dispensed  for  the 
glory  of  God  ;  or  of  the  Prophet  Isaiah  running  a 
booth  where  all  kinds  of  collapsible  nothings  made 
by  sewing-bees  are  being  sold  by  him  at  ten  cents 
per  piece ;  or  of  Jonah,  returned  from  Nineveh,  to 
sit  all  evening  at  a  candy  table,  selling  "  marsh- 
mallows,"  delectable  "  marshmallows,"  inevitable 
"  marshmallows,"  at  one  penny  apiece.  If  he 
should  have  done  this  in  ancient  times,  it  would 
have  been  almost  enough  to  have  caused  another 
adventure  with  a  whale.  No,  no.  The  solemn 
business  of  serving  God,  which  was  what  these 
.  kings  and  prophets  had  before  them,  could  not 
even  in  our  thought  be  connected  with  anything  so 
cheaply  contemptible  as  these  imaginary  employ- 
ments for  such  as  they.  The  belittling  and  the 
absurdity  of  the  very  thought  precludes  its  fitness 
in  a  sacred  scene.  Its  incongruity,  and  the  laugh- 
ableness of  it,  separate  it  far  from  the  joyfulness, 
the  inspiration,  the  greatness  of  those  triumphant 
moments  when  the  people  shouted  with  a  great 
shout,  knowing  that  their  gifts  had  made  possible  a 
shrine ;  and  that  their  completed  acts  of  giving  had 
brought  to  pass  all  the  glory  of  a  Solomonic 
temple,  and  then  again  had  caused  that  shrine  to 
renew  itself  in  the  lesser  splendors  of  the  temple  of 


TITHING  VERSUS  CHURCH  FAIRS,  DINNERS   18Y 

Zerubbabel.  The  more  I  study  the  subject  of  tith- 
ing, or,  if  you  will  have  it  so,  the  subject  of 
voluntary  giving  as  it  is  unfolded  in  the  Scriptures, 
the  clearer  it  becomes  to  my  mind  that  the  Hebrew 
tithing  law  is  a  sacred  law,  the  force  of  which  is  not 
abated,  and  disobedience  to  which  has  been  the  cause 
of  so  much  spiritual  decline  in  these  modern  days. 

I  take  it  that  all  are  equally  interested  in  the 
development  of  any  theory  or  principle  of  finance 
which  will  be  an  improvement  on  the  present  one. 
The  most  of  our  churches,  unless  they  are  among 
the  extreme  wealthy,  all  have  the  same  complaint 
to  make  as  to  the  neglect  the  members  show 
towards  the  benevolences,  towards  pastoral  sup- 
port, towards  building  and  improving,  towards  any- 
thing which  looks  to  the  spending  of  money  for  the 
glory  of  God.  I  have  known  churches  to  deliber- 
ately hold  back  part  of  their  pastor's  pay  at  the 
end  of  the  year,  on  the  ground  that  "  If  we  pay  up 
in  full  and  promptly,  they  will  put  a  little  more  on 
us  next  year."  As  if  some  farmer  should  say  to  his 
"  help,"  or  some  merchant  to  his  clerk,  "  I  will  hold 
back  a  part  of  your  month's  wages  at  the  end  of 
the  year,  lest  by  paying  you  all  you  will  get  bold 
enough  to  demand  an  increase  in  your  salary." 
The  farm  hand  has  recourse  in  law,  so  does  the 
merchant's  clerk ;  and  nothing  of  this  kind  would 
happen  to  the  preacher  if  he  had,  or  rather  would 
take,  the  same  recourse.  It  is  an  open  secret  that 
the  only  member  of  the  community  that  can  be 
robbed  in  this  fashion  is  a  minister  of  the  Gospel. 


188  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

I  know  also  of  towns  where  churches  have  no 
credit ;  where  bricklayers,  stone  masons,  carpenters, 
coal  sellers,  openly  say  that  with  them  the  Church 
has  no  credit,  because  it  has  so  little  honor ;  and 
where  bills  accumulate  with  no  prospect  that  they 
will  be  paid,  or  until  a  time  has  been  reached  in 
carrying  them  so  remote  from  the  original  trans- 
action that  future  payment  is  as  uncertain  to  gaze 
at  as  a  distant  nebula.  I  have  known  of  churches 
unable  ^to  get  themselves  trusted  for  coal  bills 
because  it  was  a  notorious  fact  that  their  credit, 
like  their  spirituality,  had  departed.  And  may  we 
not  say  that  the  one  was  the  consequence  of  the 
other  ? 

Deep  spirituality  spells  a  fine  sense  of  churchly 
honor,  the  feeling  of  churchly  obligation,  the 
stirrings  of  a  lively  faith  that  is  lively  because  it 
does  not  neglect  its  "  works " ;  and  which  scorns 
to  incur  financial  obligations  of  long  standing,  be- 
cause, like  Bishop  Taylor,  they  are  "  prayed  (and 
paid)  up  to  date."  Churches  as  well  as  individ- 
uals must  be  honest  if  they  would  have  credit. 
One  church  which  came  under  my  observation 
could  scarcely  get  itself  trusted  for  a  ton  of  coal, 
for  the  very  sufiicient  reason  that  it  had  other  bills 
which  had  been  running  several  years,  and  for  that 
reason  had  found  itself,  as  a  jesting  pastor  hsts  said, 
"  of  much  account. '''^  In  a  charge  which  was 
served  by  one  preacher  of  my  acquaintance,  he  un- 
dertook to  pay  all  bills  as  soon  as  he  could  get  hold 
of  the  ecclesiastical  reins  ;  and  to  his  surprise,  and 


TITHING  VERSUS  CHURCH  FAIRS,  DINNERS    189 

somewhat  also  to  his  chagrin,  just  as  soon  as  the 
fact  became  known  that  he  was  paying  bills  new 
and  bills  old,  stacks  of  old  bills,  whose  existence  the 
official  board  had  forgotten,  cropped  up,  to  the 
absorption  of  much  of  the  cash  revenue  gathered 
by  the  patient,  plodding  care  of  a  tired  but  zealous 
pastor  ;  and  after  a  campaign  lasting  eight  months, 
these  obligations  were  cancelled,  and  the  church 
ceased  to  be  "of  much  account."  While  this 
liquidation  of  a  sort  of  national  debt  was  going  on, 
people  with  bills  recent  and  bills  ancient,  bills  large 
and  bills  small,  bills  fresh  and  bills  nearly  or  quite 
outlawed,  almost  literally  camped  on  his  door-step, 
each  eager  to  make  his  claim  a  preferred  one  if 
such  were  possible.  The  church  that  has  neither  the 
disposition  nor  the  religious  spirit  impelling  it  to 
be  honest,  and  to  keep  square  with  the  world  had 
better  take  advantage  of  a  bankrupt  law  on  earth  ; 
for  such  it  has  already  done  in  heaven.  I  may 
whisper  to  the  reader  aside  that  those  bills,  after 
being  paid  by  the  aforesaid  pastor,  brought  great 
good  to  the  church,  a  thing  they  could  not  do 
before ;  for  the  cancellation  of  all  these  causes  of 
annoyance  was  celebrated  with  a  big  banquet ;  and 
speeches  of  gratulation,  congratulation,  and  self- 
congratulation  were  the  order  of  the  day;  and 
when  the  tide  of  jubilation  reached  a  certain 
height,  then  there  commenced  to  happen  two 
things :  One  of  them,  that  the  church  caught  a 
glimpse  of  things  undreamed  of,  and  the  other, 
that  in  response  to  this  keeping  of  the  commands 


190  THE  LAW  OP  THE  TITHE 

of  God,  He  opened  the  windows  of  heaven  and 
poured  out  a  blessing  of  the  cornucopia  kind  ;  as 
always  happens  when  the  church  lives  alongside 
of,  nay,  verily,  when  it  lives  on  and  by,  the  prom- 
ises of  God.  Incidentally,  too,  let  me  say  that  the 
Young  People's  Union  in  that  church,  and  the 
prayer-meeting,  too,  both  felt  the  uplift  and  the 
touch  of  that  "  bringing  in  of  the  tithes." 

Now,  let  me  say  this,  that  the  churches  which  to 
my  knowledge  have  shown  the  greatest  decay  of 
the  giving  spirit,  and  the  greatest  laxity  as  to  their 
debts  and  financial  obligations  of  all  kinds,  have 
been  the  churches  in  which  suppers  and  oysters 
and  ice-cream  have  been  the  most  common  resort ; 
which  fact  I  think  is  enough  to  condemn  the  sub- 
stitute for  free  will  giving. 

I  want  to  give  it  as  one  of  the  fundamentals  of 
my  Christian  faith  that  preachers  have  been  too 
modest,  or  rather,  prudish,  in  regard  to  their  sala- 
ries ;  and  this  is  out  of  the  divine  order  ;  for  under 
the  old  Levitical  system  of  tithing,  both  priests 
and  Levites,  as  we  have  seen,^  were  expected,  nay 
commanded^  to  look  after  their  support  and  per- 
quisites, and  to  be  active,  personally,  in  collecting 
them.  They  went  out  to  the  Levitical  towns  for 
the  purpose  and  had  the  power  conferred  upon  them 
by  law  to  police  the  whole  country  from  their  own 
ranks,  and  in  their  magisterial  capacity  see  that  all 
tithes  were  paid.^  We  have  utterly  departed,  at 
least  in  the  majority  of  instances,  from  the  ancient 

» See  Chap.  IV.  « See  Chap.  VIII. 


TITHING  VERSUS  CHURCH  FAIRS,  DINNERS    191 

principle  of  collections  of  tithes  by  God's  ministers 
in  person  ;  and  we  need  to  return  to  that  principle, 
fully  *accepting  the  idea  that  tithes  are  owed  to 
God  and  are  therefore  to  be  paid — not  given — paid, 
just  as  one  would  pay  any  other  bill ;  and  after 
the  bills  are  paid,  then  give,  give  until  it  pinches, 
until  it  hurts.  A  man  needs  a  pinch  of  that  kind 
often,  to  cure  himself  of  personal  carelessness  and 
extravagance ;  of  which  more  anon  in  the  chapter 
which  deals  with  "  the  summation  of  the  arguments 
for  tithing."  '  Prudery  and  modesty  are  two  dif- 
ferent things  and  there  is  a  modest,  businesslike 
way  to  speak  of  the  salary  of  a  minister  in  the 
pulpit,  even  though  the  speaker  be  the  minister 
himself.  There  is  also  a  foolish,  prudish,  unwise 
way  some  preachers  have,  never  to  mention 
finances  in  the  pulpit.  They  seem  to  feel  that  the 
salary  question,  or  if  you  will  put  it  so,  the  money 
question,  is  a  sort  of  Jack-in-the-box,  or  a  monkey- 
on-two-sticks,  or  a  sawdust-stuffed  Teddy  bear  that 
might  come  to  life  and  produce  sensations  and  dis- 
turbances in  the  congregation,  or  growl  at  the 
children ;  a  something  to  be  kept  out  of  sight,  and 
if  possible  assassinated  like  the  wives  of  Bluebeard  ; 
a  something  like  Banquo's  ghost  that  ought  to 
down,  but  will  not ;  an  ugly  face  that  insists  on 
peering  through  the  window  and  scaring  the  folks 
inside.  For  has  it  not  been  one  of  the  time-honored 
and  hoary  traditions  of  some  of  the  "  elect "  that 
necessarily  the  preacher  was  the  most  pious  and 
»  See  Chap.  XIII. 


192  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

sanctified  who  said  "  nothing  about  money  "  in  the 
pulpit  ?  As  if  silence  and  sanctity  were  a  kind  of 
synonymous  terms.  No,  the  "  money  question  "  is 
none  of  these  things ;  and  in  mentioning  them,  I 
am  reminded  that  "  hypocrisy  is  a  kind  of  tribute 
that  vice  pays  to  virtue."  The  meanness  which 
insists  that  money  ought  never  to  be  mentioned  in 
the  pulpit  has  the  Judas  spirit  in  it.  It  is  hypoc- 
risy that  dictates  the  sentiment,  because  the  wish  is 
father  to  the  thought,  and  the  thought  a  covetous 
one.  ISTo  man  who  is  himself  a  cheerful  and  liberal 
giver  and  not  a  hypocrite  at  this  point  ever  thinks 
of  silencing  his  pastor  on  the  money  question.  It 
is  a  part  of  the  plan  of  salvation  that  Christians  should 
give  ;  and  the  mention  of  money  ought  no  more  to 
be  suppressed  than  the  mention  of  the  Cross  ;  and 
giving  is  no  more  to  be  made  a  thing  of  shame  than 
is  the  Saviour  Himself  for  Whose  sake  we  give. 

Fancy,  if  you  please,  somebody  trying  to  stop 
Moses  when  he  was  giving  forth  the  law,  before 
a  vast  congregation  assembled  at  Mounts  Ebal 
and  Gerizim,'  and  saying,  "  Now  Brother  Moses,  in 
the  reading  of  your  Deuteronomy  and  of  your 
Leviticus,  please  keep  the  money  question  out  of 
sight.  If  you  do  mention  it,  people  will  stay 
away  from  church ;  and  then,  you  know,  Deacon 
Methuselah,  and  Deacon  Abimelek  are  very  sensi- 
tive about  hearing  money  matters  mentioned  from 
the  pulpit.  And  there  is  Deacon  Melchizedek,  who 
says  that  he  never  wants  to  have  a  service  spoiled 
1  Dent,  zxvii,  12-13. 


TITHING  VERSUS  CHURCH  FAIRS,  DINNERS    193 

for  him  by  hearing  money  mentioned  just  before 
the  congregation  breaks  up.  And  Deacon  Shad- 
rack  felt  insulted  the  last  time  he  was  to  meetin' 
and  said  he  never  could  go  to  church  without  hav- 
ing somebody  stick  the  collection  basket  under  his 
nose."  "  Keep  the  money  question  out  of  sight  ?  " 
ISTo,  a  thousand  times  no.  It  was  meant  that 
every  regenerated  soul  should  give,  nay,  that  the 
unregenerate  themselves  should  feel  the  force  of 
the  obligation.  Giving  is  not  something  to  be 
hidden  away  as  though  it  were  a  thing  of  which  to 
be  ashamed.  ^N^othing  is  to  be  ashamed  of  in  regard 
to  giving  except  not  giving.  On  the  contrary^  the 
opportunity  to  give  is  to  be  brought  out  and 
paraded  in  becoming  fear  of  God  as  reverently  as 
at  each  session  of  the  synagogue  the  Jew,  even 
yet,  fetches  forth,  displays  and  kisses  the  parch- 
ments of  his  law.  It  is  a  divine,  an  exalted,  a 
God-endorsed,  a  God-commanded,  glorious  privi- 
lege to  give.  It  is  one  of  God's  most  highly  honored 
means  of  grace  ;  for  the  most  splendid  promise  in 
the  whole  Bible  in  regard  to  a  downpour  of  bless- 
ing is  connected  with  the  command  regulating  an 
outpour  of  giving. 

Let  me  say  again  that  the  subject  of  giving 
must  be  thoroughly  and  courageously  exploited 
from  the  pulpit,  and  our  people  must  be  made  to 
feel  that  singing,  praying,  Bible  reading,  and 
giving  go  together.  Songs  often  need  to  be  quali- 
fied with  a  silver  dollar,  and  prayers  need  to  be 
bolstered  with  a  five  dollar  bill.    In  fact,  let  me 


194  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

say  that  there  are  some  prayers  that  will  never 
go  to  heaven  except  as  they  have  the  help  of 
greenback  wings;  and  some  songs  will  never  be 
reechoed  and  repeated  in  heaven  along  the  golden 
streets  by  the  people  who  have  been  so  jubilant 
with  them  here,  unless  said  songs  are  given  clear- 
ance papers  and  passport  from  earth  by  means  of 
the  money  paid  that  is  owed  to  God. 

I  may  say  again,  in  concluding  this  chapter, 
that  I  hold  the  "  supper-dinner-soup-cream  "  habit 
largely  responsible  in  some  modern  churches  for 
not  only  a  great  deal  of  the  carelessness  and  in- 
difference of  members  in  giving,  and  their  conse- 
quent loss  of  spirituality,  but  to  my  mind  it  is  also 
the  guilty  culprit  that  has  brought  in  much  of  the 
irreverence  now  shown  towards  the  house  of  God, 
and  much  of  the  levity  which  occurs  there,  to  the 
scandalizing  of  the  sober  fathers  and  mothers  who 
can  still  remember  the  reverent  hush  which  always 
fell  upon  a  congregation  waiting  in  the  earlier 
days  for  the  service  to  begin.  The  church  that  is 
desecrated  in  its  auditorium  by  lightness  induced 
by  festival  arrangements,  or  which  even  has  its 
lecture  room  invaded  by  the  scarcely  seemly  semi- 
vaudeville  performance,  now  becoming  all  too 
scandalously  common  as  a  means  of  raising  money, 
can  scarcely  complain  if  sooner  or  later  a  blue- 
coated  officer  of  the  law  must  ostentatiously  show 
himself  in  the  neighborhood  of  that  church,  sum- 
monsed hither  because  of  a  threatened  or  actual 
visitation  of  desecrating  invaders. 


TITHING  VERSUS  CHURCH  FAIRS,  DINNERS    195 

As  a  remedy  for  these  and  for  other  evils  that 
might  be  named,  let  me  plead  that  the^Bible  system 
of  tithing,  the  only  plan  God  ever  devised,  should 
be  reestablished  everywhere  throughout  the  Church; 
and  that  all  pernicious  secondary  methods  be  rele- 
gated to  the  ecclesiastical  scrap-pile.  As  has  been 
well  said  by  the  former  chaplain,  and  latterly, 
Bishop  McCabe,  "  Give  the  people  the  facts,  and 
they  will  give  their  money ;  "  and  one  of  the 
great  facts  that  cries  to  heaven  from  the  Bible  for 
frequent  and  earnest  telling  is  the  value,  the  suc- 
cess, the  divineness  of  "  The  Law  of  the  Tithe," 
once  it  is  brought  into  operation. 


XII » 

TITHING  IN  CONOEETE  MODEEN  INSTANCES 

"  "m  i|r  ONEY,"  says  Dr.  Duncan,  "  is  stored 
\ /I     power."     How  important,   then,  that 

X  T  JL  when  this  power  is  released,  it  be  re- 
leased on  the  right  objects,  and  set  the  proper 
wheels  a-going.  William  Colgate  and  Thomas 
Kane  are  examples  of  tithers  whose  beneficence 
has  become  a  matter  of  good  report  throughout 
the  world,  and  they  show  in  their  own  lives  what 
the  tithing  law,  applied  and  obeyed,  will  do  for  the 
individual  experience.  Witness  is  borne  by  Dr. 
Duncan  in  support  of  the  idea  that  money  is 
stored  power  when  he  tells  us  that  in  his  congre- 
gation he  has  had  a  man  who  worked  at  the  bench 
for  ten  dollars  a  week,  who  now  has  a  handsome 
business,  which,  according  to  the  same  authority, 
yields  him  a  princely  income,  all  as  the  result  of 
the  fact  that  this  man  became  a  tither  when  he 
worked  for  ten  dollars  a  week. 

A  Chicago  layman  who  holds  or  has  held  the 
distinguished  honor  of  being  president  of  the  Wi- 
nona Assembly,  has  corresponded  with  thousands 
of  people  in  the  five  leading  religious  denomina- 

*  In  this  chapter  I  have  made  free  use  of  Dr.  Dnncan's  "Our 
Christian  Stewardship."  I  commend  it  to  the  reader  as  a  most 
helpful  volume,  v^rritten  in  terse,  yet  polished  English  style. 

196 


TITHING  IN  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  197 

tions  and  not  an  exception  has  been  found — 
prosperity  follows  the  giving  of  the  tithe.  We  are 
to  remember  that  in  Malachi's  prophecy  it  is 
promised  that  God  will  open  the  "  windows,"  not 
the  "  window,"  of  heaven  to  the  one  who  brings  in 
all  the  tithes.  It  is  true  of  The  Law  of  the  Tithe, 
as  it  is  of  all  other  good  laws,  that  prosperity  fol- 
lows the  keeping  of  it,  and  that  sorrow  and 
anguish  of  spirit,  as  well  as  lack  of  temporal  suc- 
cess, follow  the  failure  to  keep  it.  It  is  further 
related  by  the  authority  above  named  that  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Indiana  Conference  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  had  been  a  tither  and  prosperous, 
but  backslid  and  gave  up  the  habit.  His  prosperity 
at  once  left  him  ;  hence,  he  confessed  his  wrong,  and 
his  property  and  his  prosperity  together  commenced 
to  come  back. 

A  fellow  pastor  of  the  author's  acquaintance 
contributes  the  following  personal  reminiscences : 

"  I  was  sent  to  a  little  town  of  less  than  four 
hundred  people  as  pastor,  and  in  addition  to  the 
town  point  we  had  a  country  work  about  seven 
miles  from  town.  During  our  second  year  there 
my  wife  took  sick  and  it  was  necessary  to  have  a 
minor  surgical  operation  performed.  The  doctor 
said  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  her,  if  she  ever 
regained  good  health,  to  merely  lie  down  most  of 
the  time  and  do  no  work,  and  have  no  worry. 
This  necessitated  keeping  help  to  do  the  house 
work.  "We  hired  a  girl  at  three  dollars  a  week  for 
seven  months.    This  cut  largely  into  a  very  limited 


198  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

salary,  but  necessity  compelled  it.  During  the 
month  of  May  the  next  year,  I  started  out  calling, 
expecting  to  be  gone  from  home  for  two  days.  I 
planned  the  calling  trip  so  as  to  get  home  the 
second  day  at  three  o'clock.  I  was  worrying  about 
a  bill  that  I  owed  for  horse  feed  and  fuel  of  the 
winter,  and  could  see  no  way  that  I  might  pay  it, 
as  I  expected  to  move  that  fall  and  figured  that  it 
would  take  all  my  salary  to  pay  the  help,  and  the 
necessary  bills  until  Conference.  Finally  I  said, 
'  Lord,  this  sickness  and  expense  is  nothing  that  we 
are  responsible  for  and  I  will  quit  worrying  and  let 
you  figure  it  out.' 

"  I  had  planned  that  the  second  day  at  ten  o'clock 
I  would  get  to  a  certain  country  home.  In  this 
home  there  lived  two  brothers  and  two  sisters  all 
unmarried  and  well  along  past  middle  age.  They 
were  supporters  of  our  church,  and  paid  liberally  to 
the  salary.  They  were  really  Scotch  Presbyterians, 
and  good,  religious  people.  I  arrived  at  their 
home  as  planned  at  ten  o'clock,  and  expected  to 
spend  an  hour  there,  going  a  little  farther  at  twelve, 
to  dinner.  They  would  not  listen  to  this.  The 
ladies  said  that  the  brothers  were  at  the  barn  and 
for  me  to  drive  there  and  they  would  put  the  horse 
in  the  barn.  This  I  did.  We  all  went  to  dinner. 
After  dinner  the  two  brothers  and  myself  went  to 
the  barn.  We  got  the  horse  out  of  the  barn  and 
one  of  the  brothers  took  it  a  little  distance  to  the 
watering  trough.  While  he  was  gone,  the  other 
brother  said,  *  You  will  need  a  suit  of  clothes,  or 


TITHING  IN  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  199 

possibly  a  harness  for  your  horse.  Here  is  some 
money  ;  take  it  with  my  love.  I  have  had  it  ever 
since  Christmas  for  you,  and  this  is  the  first  time  I 
have  seen  you  since  then.'  He  put  a  sum  of  money 
in  my  vest  pocket.  Soon  the  other  brother  came 
back  with  the  horse  and  we  hitched  it  to  the  buggy 
and  I  got  in  to  start  away.  This  other  brother 
said,  *  I  will  go  and  open  the  gate  for  you.'  I 
said,  *  I  can  do  that  all  right.'  However,  he  in- 
sisted on  it.  He  walked  by  the  buggy,  and  before 
opening  the  gate  he  said,  '  Here  is  something  that 
I  have  had  for  you  ever  since  the  holidays.  I  got 
it  just  before  that  time  and  it  was  a  new  one  and  I 
said, "  I  will  give  that  to  the  preacher." '  He  handed 
me  a  new  twenty  dollar  bill.  Of  course  I  thanked 
him.  After  driving  a  little  distance  I  was  anxious 
to  see  how  much  the  first  brother  had  given  me.  I 
stopped  the  horse  and  took  the  money  from  my 
pocket  where  he  had  placed  it  and  found  that  he 
had  given  me  fifty  dollars,  this,  with  what  the  other 
brother  had  given  me,  making  seventy  dollars.  I 
said,  ^  Thank  you.  Lord  ;  that  will  pay  that  bill  I 
was  worrying  about.'  On  arriving  at  home  I  told 
my  wife  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  me.  I  went 
to  pay  the  bill,  and  it  had  not  been  figured  up,  and 
the  bookkeeper  figured  it  up,  and  it  amounted  to 
just  sixty -nine  dollars  cmd  fifty  cents. 

"]S"o  one  knew  just  how  much  that  bill  was. 
But  He  who  knoweth  all  things  was  able  to  give  me 
through  His  people  just  the  amount  that  was  due. 

"  For  my  second  charge  after  entering  the  minis* 


200  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

try  I  was  sent  to  a  town  of  about  three  thousand 
to  live  and  had  three  country  points  near  the  town 
as  a  work.  During  the  winter  I  held  special  meet- 
ings at  the  three  points.  At  one  place  there  was  a 
young  man  and  his  wife  in  whom  we  were  all 
especially  interested.  They  seemed  during  the 
meetings  as  though  they  would  make  the  start,  but 
the  meetings  came  near  the  close  without  them. 
One  evening  they  were  both  converted  and  came 
into  the  church.  The  father  and  mother  of  the  man 
had  been  tithers  for  a  long  time. 

"  During  the  late  fall  of  that  year  my  wife  and  I 
were  calling  at  the  home.  The  people  were  renters 
and  lived  in  a  little  house  on  the  place  rented.  We 
went  into  the  house  and  after  a  short  visit  the  wife 
brought  to  me  a  small  pasteboard  box  and  asked 
me  to  look  into  it.  I  did  so,  and  there  were  about 
twelve  dollars  in  it.  Her  eyes  were  full  of  tears 
and  I  knew  that  a  story  was  connected  with  it.  I 
said,  *  Tell  me  the  story.'  She  said,  '  That  is  God's 
box,'  and  the  following  was  the  story  she  told : 

"  ^  You  undoubtedly  noticed  that  my  husband  and 
I  held  back  in  the  revival  meetings  until  about  their 
close.  Well,  we  believed  that  if  we  were  to  start 
in  the  Christian  life  that  God  would  want  us  to  pay 
ten  per  cent,  of  our  income  as  a  tithe.  We  had 
figured  that  our  income  would  be  about  four  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  year,  and  thought  forty  dollars 
out  of  that  for  God  and  the  church  would  be  more 
than  we  could  afford.  Finally  we  said,  "  Lord,  we 
will  do  it,"  and  we  did.' 


TITHING  IN  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  201 

"  She  said,  *  Mr.  Blank,  I  wish  that  you  would 
take  your  pencil  and  do  a  little  figuring  for  me.'  I 
did  so.  She  said  :  *  We  had  in,  as  a  crop  of  oats  we 
had  on  the  place,  thirty  acres,  and  we  got  forty 
bushels  of  oats  to  the  acre,  which  was  eight  bushels 
more  than  any  one  else  got  in  our  neighborhood. 
We  got  18^  cents  per  bushel  for  the  crop,  and  sold 
it  from  the  machine.  Kow,'  she  said,  '  see  what 
that  would  come  to.'  I  figured  the  surplus  that 
they  had  more  than  their  neighbors,  and  found  it, 
of  course,  240  bushels,  and  at  ISJ  cents  per  bushel 
figured  out  just  $44.40.  I  said  to  her, '  That  is  just 
like  God.  Not  only  has  He  given  you  back  the 
$40,  but  He  has  added  ten  per  cent,  to  it,  and  also 
ten  per  cent,  to  the  ten  per  cent.'  That  was  twelve 
years  ago,  and  so  far  as  I  know  they  are  still  pay- 
ing ten  per  cent,  of  their  income  to  God  and  are 
prospering." ' 

While  the  reader  is  digesting  the  above  facts,  let 
us  remember  that  the  first  instance  given  in  the 
above  narrative  settles  for  us  the  principle  under- 
lying true  prayer.  That  we  are  to  set  our  wishes 
before  Him,  tell  Him  our  troubles,  and  then  go  on 
in  the  fullest  confidence  that  He  will  take  care  of 
the  matter  and  bring  forth  the  issue  that  will  re- 
move the  difficulty  in  the  case. 

Wesley  Chapel,  Cincinnati,  a  down-town  church, 
found  itself  "  plapng  out."  No  other  phrase  seems 
expressive  enough  to  describe  its  condition.    In 

1  The  writer  knows  personally  the  narrator  of  the  above  inci- 
dents and  can  vouch  for  their  truth. 


202.  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

1896,  they  were  so  discouraged  and  unprosper- 
ous  that  the  pastor  advised,  and  the  Board  had 
about  decided,  to  nail  up  the  doors  and  windows 
and  leave  the  edifice  to  be  tenanted  by  mice  and 
bats.  Eather  than  stop  without  at  least  one  more 
effort,  seventy  persons  signed  a  tithe  covenant  dur- 
ing the  first  year,  with  the  result  that  with  a  shock 
of  surprise  to  themselves  that  was  self-inflicted,  all 
bills  throughout  the  year  were  promptly  met.  When 
the  results  came  to  be  published  to  the  congregation, 
there  was  a  time  of  tenderness  and  rejoicing, 
reminding  us  of  the  old  time  story  of  the  rejoicings 
of  the  Hebrews  when  the  tithes  and  offerings  were 
brought  up  to  Jerusalem.  The  members  of  this 
church  speedily  increased  from  360  to  650,  and  the 
Sunday-school  attendance  mounted  from  250  to  540. 
Prayer  and  class  meetings  were  quadrupled  in  mem- 
bership. The  doors  of  the  church  were  wide  open 
every  night  in  the  week.  All  dissensions  of  every 
kind  have  ceased,  and  brotherly  love  plays  upon  all 
hearts  its  music,  which  is  like  part  of  some  swelling 
anthem.  The  pastor's  check  comes  in  full  every  week 
and  every  obligation  is  joyfully  met.  This  church, 
in  its  evangelism,  leads  all  others  in  the  Conference. 
"Last  year,"  says  the  pastor,  "she  paid  into  the 
Missionary  Society  as  much  as  all  the  other  ten 
down-town  churches  and  $13  over,  or  a  total  of 
$1,060.  .  .  .  The  tithe  book  shows  that  last 
year,  out  of  769  members  and  probationers  only  1 62 
were  tithing ;  and  of  these,  twelve  were  children, 
105  women,  and  45  men.    It  is  interesting  to  note 


TITHING  IN  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  203 

here  that  the  average  income  of  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  the  United  States  is  estimated  at  $300  ; 
the  average  tithe  therefore  would  be  $30.  The 
treasurer's  book  at  Wesley  Chapel  shows  that  the 
average  amount  paid  by  each  tither  there  in  1901 
was  $31.29.  If  all  the  769  members  had  been 
tithing  at  the  same  rate,  the  total  income  would 
have  been  $24,062  ;  or  enough  to  pay  their  present 
current  expenses,  and  support  the  entire  associated 
charities  of  Cincinnati,  and  to  keep  an  army  of  180 
Bible  readers  in  the  field  in  India,  China  and 
Japan."  ^ 

"  When  Bishop  Thoburn  came  to  Wesley  Chapel 
in  1896  to  preach  a  missionary  sermon  it  seemed  to 
be  a  new  sensation  to  him  not  to  have  a  collection 
to  take.  The  fact  is,  this  system  transforms  all 
these  men  and  means  into  missionary  educational 
institutions  instead  of  peripatetic  collecting  agen- 
cies." ^ 

In  speaking  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Wichita,  Kansas,  of  which  he  is  pastor,  Eev.  Charles 
Edwin  Bradt  has  the  following  to  say :  "  Several 
years  ago,  conditions  prevailed  in  Wichita,  Kansas, 
which  made  the  continued  existence  of  any  institu- 
tion, however  free  from  internal  embarrassment, 
more  or  less  precarious.  But  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  was  burdened  with  many  thousands  of 
dollars  of  debt,  with  no  assets  that  had  any  market- 

*  Duncan's  "Stewardship." 

'  See  also  Dr.  Magrnder's  pamphlet  account  of  Walnut  Hill's 
prosperity. 


204  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

able  value.  The  members,  though  heroic  and 
generous,  had  personal  obligations  and  responsibili- 
ties which  taxed  them  almost  beyond  the  limits  of 
endurance.  These  conditions  made. the  problem  of 
a  bare  existence  as  a  church  organization  and  the 
maintenance  of  the  stated  services  of  the  church  a 
great  question.  The  fact  is,  such  an  existence  had 
not  been  financially  sustained  for  some  time  pre- 
vious, and  in  consequence  a  floating  indebtedness, 
rising  higher  and  higher  each  year,  was  threat- 
ening to  submerge  the  church  .  .  .  (and) 
they  looked  .  .  .  upon  ...  a  large  bonded 
debt  of  $18,000.  .  .  .  In  the  face  of  these  facts 
the  doctrine  was  preached  that  Christ  had  con- 
ditioned His  presence  and  His  almighty  power,  the 
Holy  Spirit,  upon  practical  willingness,  on  the  part 
of  His  people,  to  obey  the  great  commission.  One 
cold  bleak  January  morning  the  pastor  crossed  the 
threshold  of  the  church  with  this  conviction  on  his 
heart,  prepared  with  a  message.  .  .  .  Where- 
upon this  church  was  not  disobedient  unto  the  heav- 
enly vision,  but  undertook  to  show  unto  them  of 
China,  as  well  as  at  Wichita  and  of  our  own  land,  that 
they  should  repent  and  turn  to  God  and  do  works 
meet  for  repentance.  That  very  day  the  church 
took  for  support  a  missionary  pastor  on  the  foreign 
field.  Dr.  Hunter  Corbett,  of  Chefoo,  China.  And 
that  very  year,  too,  the  church  closed  its  books 
without  a  deficit  in  its  current  expenses,  and  with 
its  floating  debt  removed, — a  condition  that  it  had 
not  enjoyed  for  ten  years  previous,  according  to  the 


TITHING  m  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  205 

showing  of  the  treasurer.  The  next  year  the  church 
more  than  doubled  the  amount  contributed  to 
foreign  missions  the  previous  year,  and  added  to  its 
pay  roll  a  home  missionary ;  and  that  year  it  re- 
moved its  bonded  debt,  closing  the  year  with  money 
in  the  treasury  and  all  ifs  financial  obligations  met."  * 
Speaking  of  the  same  class  of  facts,  the  Rev. 
Frank  Otis  Ballard,  of  Indianapolis,  says:  "A 
great  District  Conference  near  the  centre  of 
population  gave  for  all  purposes  during  the  year 
$410,000.  We  do  not  know  what  her  tithe  would 
have  been.  There  are  52,000  members  in  that 
Conference.  Carroll  D.  Wright,  statistician  of 
labor  for  the  United  States,  informs  us  woman's 
average  earnings  are  $298  a  year  in  this  country. 
That  would  be  a  ridiculously  low  estimate  for  the 
earnings  of  the  members  of  a  great  and  prosperous 
Church  in  one  of  the  more  thriving  and  populous 
portions  of  the  country,  yet  even  at  that  absurdly 
low  estimate  of  $298  a  year  each  they  would  earn 
in  a  year  $15,000,000  and  the  tithe  of  it  was 
$1,500,000.  They  brought  in  $410,000,  leaving 
them  m  debt  to  God  on  the  operations  of  that  year 
alone  in  that  one  District  Conference  $1,090,000. 
Now  recollect  that  over  this  same  territory  is  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  Baptist  Church,  the 
Episcopalian  Church,  all  derelict  in  the  same  or  a 
corresponding  measure.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
Christ  is  not  seeing  of  the  travail  of  His  soul  ?  "  * 

*  See  Bradt's  "  The  Experience  of  One  Church."     (Pamphlefc.) 
'See  ** Straight  Lines  in  Church  Finauoe,"  F.  0.  Ballard. 


206  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

At  Redkey,  Indiana,  with  2,000  inhabitants,  a 
band  of  tithers  eleven  strong  was  formed  in  1901, 
which  grew  to  a  membership  of  sixty,  including 
both  the  wealthiest  and  the  poorest.  At  the  last 
report  available  to  me,  they,  together  with  the  rest 
of  the  church,  gave  to  benevolences  $3,211,  of  which 
the  tithers  contributed  $2,700.  There  were  there- 
fore 317  people  who  gave  $511,  while  sixty  tithers 
gave  $2,700.  The  average  for  the  non-tither  is 
$1.60  per  member ;  for  the  tithers,  $45  per  mem- 
ber; which  means  that  each  tither  gave  on  the 
average  twenty-eight  times  as  much  as  the  non- 
tither.  Of  this  church.  Bishop  Warren  has  said  that 
none  other  in  all  of  its  world-wide  denomination  has 
shown  a  similar  report.* 

The  Fn-st  M.  E.  Church  in  Eiverside,  California, 
has  in  it  seventy-four  members  who  are  tithers, 
who  have  persuaded  others  to  join  their  band  until 
they  numbered,  at  last  report,  172 ;  and  in  eight 
months  they  paid  $6,260,  or  $36.40  each.  The 
others,  850  strong,  paid  $6.02  each.  If  all  were 
tithers,  says  Dr.  Duncan,  they  could  — 

Support  one  hundred  native  preachers  in  India. 

One  hundred  native  preachers  in  Africa. 

One  hundred  in  Japan. 

One  hundred  in  China. 

One  hundred  in  Korea. 

One  hundred  day-schools  in  China,  leaving  unap- 
propriated a  surplus  of  $27,060.  The  pastor  has 
informed  those  who  have  inquired  that  the  giving 

*See  Duncan's  "Stewardship,"  p.  117. 


TITHING  IN  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  207 

of  the  tithe  has  caused  200  conversions  and  a  great 
revival. 

In  the  last  six  months  of  1909  fifty-two  churches 
in  Indiana  have  organized  tithing  bands/ 

S.  S.  Hough,  a  minister  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church,  said  recently  in  the  great  Laymen's  Mis- 
sionary Convention  in  Omaha  (1910) : 

"  The  trustees  of  one  of  my  former  churches  were 
greatly  discouraged  because  of  the  heavy  debt  on 
the  church.  They  had  been  doing  their  best  to 
raise  money  through  chicken  and  waffle  suppers 
and  the  like.  When  I  became  their  pastor  I  had 
the  conviction  that  their  financial  difficulties  would 
be  solved  if  the  members  of  the  church  would  enter 
into  partnership  with  God  and  give  at  least  one- 
tenth  of  their  income  to  the  work  of  the  kingdom. 

"  I  sought  first  to  lead  the  trustees  to  adopt  this 
principle,  then  the  official  board  considered  and  ap- 
proved it,  and  later,  after  much  prayer  and  thought, 
I  presented  the  matter  to  the  public  congregation 
in  a  red-hot  sermon.  The  church  had  many  empty 
pews  that  morning  and  it  seemed  that  little  demons 
were  sitting  on  each  one  defying  the  preacher.  But 
I  encouraged  myself  in  the  Lord  and  urged  the  con- 
gregation to  prove  God  according  to  Malachi  iii.  10. 
A  heart-searching  time  followed.  The  windows  of 
heaven  were  soon  open.  The  empty  pews  began 
to  fill  up.  A  revival  followed  when  one  hundred 
and  twenty  were  converted  and  over  one  hundred 
united  with  the  church.  Within  a  year  all  the  cur- 
*  See  Duncan's  '*  Stewardship,"  pp.  119-121. 


208  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

rent  expenses  were  met  promptly  and  over  four 
thousand  dollars  in  cash  were  secured  to  apply  on 
the  burdensome  debt. 

"  The  people  became  enthusiastic  and  full  of  hope 
and  joy.  "Within  six  weeks  after  the  church  be- 
came self-supporting,  it  definitely  undertook  to 
support  a  missionary  in  the  foreign  field,  and  the 
offerings  for  missions  leaped  from  $250  to  over 
$800  that  year.  Thereafter  all  the  current  ex- 
penses were  met  promptly  and  a  thousand  dollar 
new  heating  plant  was  installed  and  paid  for,  and 
$40  a  month  were  put  aside  for  the  erection  of  a 
parsonage. 

"  The  first  home  missionary  to  be  supported  by  a 
local  church  in  the  Allegheny  Conference  was  taken 
up  by  this  congregation,  in  addition  to  their  regular 
gifts  for  missions,  and  other  benevolences.  The 
interest  increased.  New  members  were  added  on 
confession  of  faith  month  by  month.  The  mem- 
bership grew  from  two  hundred  to  four  hundred, 
and  then  to  five  hundred  and  six  hundred,  and  the 
church  decided  to  establish  a  home  mission  of  their 
own  in  an  adjacent  needy  section  of  the  city.  They 
erected  a  church  building  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand 
dollars  which  was  entirely  free  of  debt  before  the 
day  of  dedication."  "  There  is  that  scattereth  and 
yet  increaseth."  "Bring  ye  the  whole  tithe  into 
the  storehouse,  .  .  .  and  prove  me  now  here- 
with saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open  you 
the  windows  of  heaven  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing 
that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it." 


TITHING  IN  CONCRETE  MODERN  INSTANCES  209 

So  might  we  multiply  Concrete  Modern  In- 
stances ;  but  enough  has  already  been  adduced  to 
show  that  the  adoption  of  the  tithing  plan  in  a 
church  is  followed  — 

1.  By  the  extinction  of  all  debts. 

2.  By  the  creation  of  comfortable  support  for 
the  pastor. 

3.  By  aggressive  local  missionary  work,  includ- 
ing the  building  of  chapels. 

4.  By  the  support  of  pastors  in  the  foreign  field, 
the  local  church  in  the  case  furnishing  through  its 
tithes  all  the  necessary  funds. 

5.  By  the  building  of  parsonages  where  the 
tithing  church  has  none. 

6.  By  the  outbreak  of  revival  in  the  tithing 
church. 

T.  By  great  additions  to  the  membership  of  the 
church  and  the  Sunday-school. 

8.  By  great  interest  aroused  among  outsiders, 
causing  them  to  come  in  much  greater  numbers  to 
the  regular  services  of  the  church. 

9.  By  the  dying  out  of  bickerings  and  jealousy. 

10.  By  a  spirit  of  rejoicing  and  by  demonstra- 
tions of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  power. 

Could  anything  more  clearly  prove,  than  do  the 
above  particulars,  that  God's  blessing  rests  upon 
"The  Law  of  the  Tithe"? 


xm 

AISrSWERS  TO  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  TITH- 
ING SYSTEM,  AND  SUMMARY 
OF  ARGUMENTS  FOR  IT 

1.  "r*  I  "^HE  Church,  if  the  tithing  system 
I  were  in  force  everywhere,  would 
JL  have  too  much  money."  Yery  well. 
Would  the  mass  of  the  laymen  who  have  nine 
times  as  much  as  the  Church  confess  that  they  had 
too  much  money?  Or  is  the  work  of  the  laity 
relatively  more  important  than  the  work  of  God  ? 
"  Too  much  "  ?  Impossible.  There  cannot  be  too 
much  money  provided.  It  is  true  of  the  endowed 
colleges  that  almost  without  exception  the  demands 
upon  their  funds  are  always  in  excess  of  the  amount 
thereof,  because  new  and  unthought-of  needs  and 
necessities  are  constantly  arising,  for  which  provi- 
sion may  be  made,  and  it  is  not  impossible  for  a 
college  to  have  too  much  money,  any  more  than  it 
is  possible  to  write  a  complete  system  of  psychology, 
for  the  system  would  have  to  include  the  very  state 
of  mind  in  which  the  system  was  conceived  and 
executed.  IS'o  more  can  God  have  too  much  money, 
for  each  fresh  supply  only  opens  scores  and  thou- 
sands of  fresh  necessities,  which  will  always  march 
a  little  in  advance  of  the  spending.    There  is  always 

210 


ANSWERS  TO  OBJECTIONS  211 

in  the  work  of  God  a  margin  which  only  "  the 
whole  tithe  "  will  provide  for. 

2.  "Tithing  is  bribing  God."  Can  God  be 
bribed  to  receive  what  He  has  already  promised  to 
accept  ?  If  tithing  bribes  Him,  then  do  all  gifts 
likewise ;  for  all  of  them  in  themselves  are  designed 
to  merit  His  favor.  When  God  has  set  the  condi- 
tions, and  those  conditions  are  met,  then  His  will  can- 
not be  affected  in  the  matter ;  for  by  the  terms  of 
His  promises  He  has  agreed  in  advance  of  the  gift 
to  do  what  He  does  do,  bless  the  giver ;  and  there 
could  be  no  making  up  of  the  divine  mind,  for  that 
was  made  up  before,  when  the  promise  was  given. 

3.  "Tithing  ended  with  the  Old  Testament 
economy."  It  did  not  end  then,  because  it  did  not 
commence  then,  but  long  before ;  and  was  universal 
and  not  restricted  to  one  people,  nor  to  the  Land 
of  Promise. 

4.  "  We  are  to  give  according  to  our  love  to  God. " 
Some  one  calls  this  "  anarchy,  pure  and  simple." 
Should  there  be  no  love,  there  would  be  no  giving. 
This  argument  logically  would  release  all  from  ob- 
serving the  Sabbath,  provided  they  did  not  love 
God.  Obedience  to  Him  does  not  rest  on  senti- 
ment, but  is  demanded  by  the  law  itself,  without 
reference  to  the  existence  or  to  the  non-existence  of 
love.  There  are  no  gradations  in  moral  obligation. 
One  man  is  not  twice  as  much  bound  not  to  steal  as 
another;  nor  is  any  one  half  bound  by  the  law 
against  murder. 

5.  Dr.  John   Owen's   argument:    "Abraham 


212  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

gave  tithes  for  all  posterity."  Then  why  did  tithes 
continue  after  the  days  of  Abraham  ?  And  why 
did  Hezekiah  and  JSTehemiah  labor  so  earnestly  to 
preserve  an  obligation  that  had  passed?  Why 
then  did  Ctrist  commend  the  Pharisees  for  giving 
tithes,  if  there  was  still  no  obligation  to  pay  them  ? 
Owen's  argument  nullifies  the  whole  Mosaic  code 
so  far  as  it  relates  to  tithes,  and  makes  it  improper 
and  unreasonable  that  Moses  should  have  called  upon 
Israel  to  tithe  at  all. 

6.  All  arguments  against  the  tithe  may  be 
aimed  with  equal  force  against  the  Sabbath. 

7.  "  Tithing  is  not  adapted  to  a  complex  age." 
This  means  that  some  would  have  us  believe  that  it 
is  impossible,  in  the  complexities  of  modern  busi- 
ness, for  a  man  to  find  out  how  much  he  is  really 
worth,  or  what  his  income  really  is.  If  this  is  true, 
then  the  successful  taxation  of  a  man  of  affairs  is 
impossible,  and  the  law  requiring  it  is  both  un- 
reasonable and  unjust ;  but  reverse  the  terms  :  sup- 
pose a  man  were  expecting  from  God  a  ten  per 
cent,  return  on  what  the  man  in  question  is  worth. 
Would  that  man  or  any  man  be  long  in  doubt  as  to 
the  valuation  on  which  the  ten  per  cent,  would  be 
paid  ?  Complexity  is  no  barrier  to  estimates  where 
one's  personal  interest  is  concerned. 

8.  "  Tithing  is  oppressive  to  the  poor."  Why 
so  ?  He  who  has  but  little  has  only  one-tenth  of 
it  to  give  to  God  ;  and  his  giving  is  exactly  in  pro- 
portion to  his  income.  If  the  household,  in  any 
given  week,  has  but  one  dollar,  I  hold  that  the 


ANSWERS  TO  OBJECTIONS  213 

ninety  cents,  after  that  dollar  is  tithed,  will  be  better 
administered  and  will  go  farther  than  the  100 
cents  untithed  would  have  gone ;  with  this  in 
addition,  that  God  will  bless  the  ninety  cents; 
otherwise,  we  have  no  warrant  for  supposing  that 
He  will  bless  the  dollar  unshared  by  Him.  "  When 
God  and  man  get  together  with  the  same  ten  cent 
piece,  they  are  not  and  cannot  be  very  far  apart ; " 
but,  united  in  interest,  all  the  forces  of  the  universe, 
winds,  tides,  sunshine,  evaporation,  warmth,  cold, 
electricity,  water,  rain,  everything,  are  pledged  of 
God  to  help  and  to  bless  the  ninety  cents.  Better 
the  ninety  cents  with  God  and  the  universe  linked 
fast  to  it  by  divine  promise,  than  1 00  cents,  and  no 
God  and  no  universe  behind  the  transaction. 

9.  "  Tithing  was  not  commanded  by  Christ  and 
the  apostles."  IN'o ;  for  the  very  good  reason  that 
the  system  was  so  firmly  established  already  that  it 
needed  no  further  enacting,  and  did  not  need  it  for 
three  hundred  years. 

SUMMATION  OF  AEGUMENTS 

1.  Chemistry  demands,  in  masses  of  elements,  a 
base.  Tithing  was  incorporated  into  the  Mosaic  sys- 
tem as  a  base.  It  is  in  fact  pivotal,  and  the  whole 
plan  of  Judaism  revolves  around  it.  God  in  touch 
with  His  people  through  a  ministry  made  a  scheme 
of  financing  this  body  of  His  servants  necessary. 
To  deny  the  validity  of  the  tithe  is  to  destroy  the 
basis  of  all  churchly  life  in  all  the  ages.  The 
Church  of  Judea  could  not  and  would  not  exist 


214  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

without  the  solid  basis  of  sound,  divinely  contrived 
finance.  'No  more  can  the  Church  of  to-day  exist 
without  it.  Successful  getting  of  money  in  any 
other  way  than  that  of  proportionate  giving  is  im- 
possible. We  must  demand  a  return  from  the  sacri- 
lege of  Henry  YIII  to  the  devout  attitude  of  Chris- 
tendom before  Henry's  time;  for  Protestantism 
must  not  longer  be  guilty  of  the  hideous  sacrilege 
which  his  guilty  action,  more  than  that  of  any 
other  monarch  of  his  times,  helped  to  precipitate. 
The  great  break,  the  abyss  between  the  ancient 
generosity  of  the  people  of  God,  and  their  modern 
drouth  of  covetousness,  dates  from  Henry  YIII 
and  his  times;  and  the  fierce  discussion  of  tithes 
which  arose  with  Grotius  and  Selden  was  con- 
tinued in  1698  by  Henry  Spellman  in  his  "  History 
of  Sacrilege,*"  '  was  continued  by  J.  H.  Hottlinger 
in  "  De  Decimis  Judseorum,"  1723,  by  Spencer  in 
"  De  Legibus  HebraBorum,"  1727,  and  by  Joseph 
Scaliger  in  "  Diat.  de  Decimis,  app.  ad  Deut.  xxvi.," 
about  the  same  date,  and  by  others  in  continuous 
sequence  until  now. 

2.  Being  universal,  the  tithing  system  did  not 
end  with  the  Mosaic  economy.  It  was  a  system 
promulgated  to  the  rax3e  ages  before  Moses  gave 
Leviticus  and  Deuteronomy  to  Judaism  and  to  the 
consciences  of  men  throughout  the  world ;  for  it 
was  observed,  as  we  have  seen  in  Chapter  I, 
throughout  all  the  ancient  inhabited  earth,  in  one 
instance,  as  shown  before,  being  observed  in  the 
*  Duncan's  *' Stewardship,"  p.  69. 


ANSWERS  TO  OBJECTIONS  216 

reign  of  Sargon  I,  3,800  years  before  Christ,  and 
2,300  years  before  Moses  lifted  his  pen,  or  drew 
from  divine  inspiration  a  single  breath.  There- 
fore, since  tithing  as  a  system  existed  before 
Moses,  it  could  not  be  affected  by  the  death  of  his 
economy.  The  greater  may  include  the  less,  but 
the  less  may  be  destroyed  sometimes  without 
affecting  the  greater.  The  burning  of  Chicago  did 
not  destroy  the  inhabitants  of  that  city,  nor  affect 
the  homes  or  the  domestic  life  of  the  people  in 
Illinois  outside  of  that  city.  The  farming  system 
of  the  state  flourished  on  with  the  heart  of  Chicago 
in  ruins  ;  so  the  tithing  system  continued  to  flourish 
after  Hebrew  national  unity,  the  temple,  and  the 
Mosaic  economy  were  destroyed ;  and  the  life  of 
the  tithing  system  is  unbroken  from  the  beginning 
of  time  until  now ;  for  never  in  the  world  has 
there  been  a  time  when,  in  the  course  of  the  ages, 
devout  and  thankful  souls  somewhere  have  not 
offered  tithes  to  God.  The  history  of  tithing  is 
coetaneous  with  the  history  of  the  human  race. 

3.  Sacrifice  of  the  rites  of  Hebrew  ceremonial- 
ism does  not  imply  the  end  of  moral  obligation, 
which  commenced  with  the  promulgation  of  the 
tithing  law  to  the  primitive  peoples  of  the  earth. 
Hebrew  rites  and  ceremonies  were  an  after  growth, 
superadded  to  what  had  been  in  vogue  in  the 
family  of  Adam,  and  carried  everywhere  by  the 
Dispersion  at  Babel.  These  rites  and  ceremonies 
grew  up,  flourished,  died,  just  as  any  child  lives 
and  disappears  during  the  life  of  a  grown  man. 


216  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

His  own  existence  may  be  prolonged  a  generation 
or  two  after  the  child  has  departed.  Moral  obli- 
gation, "  oughtness,"  is  the  grown  man  that  still 
lives  :  Hebrew  ritual  is  the  infant  departed. 

4.  ITot  being  abrogated  with  the  death  of  the 
Judaic  ritual,  and  being  universal  in  its  application 
to  the  tender  side  of  the  human  conscience,  The 
Law  of  the  Tithe  is  still  in  force  under  the  New 
Testament  Dispensation  which  is  still  with  us. 

6.  Paul  was  satisfied  in  making  an  appeal  to 
the  law,  and  to  recognize  its  binding  force,  for  he 
says,  justifying  his  plea  for  the  ministry  by  his 
appeal,  "  Saith  not  the  law  the  same  also  ?  "  Of 
what  avail  to  appeal  to  the  law,  if  that  law  be 
dead?  The  law  to  which  he  appealed  was  The 
Law  of  the  Tithe. 

6.  The  teaching  of  the  Gospel  is  that  the 
covetous,  sinful  as  they  are,  cannot  enter  into  the 
fellowship  of  the  just  here  below,  nor  will  they  be 
able  to  enter  the  fellowship  of  the  Church  trium- 
phant in  glory.  "What  is  better  adapted  to  destroy 
covetousness  and  to  prepare  one  for  earthly  and 
for  heavenly  fellowship  than  is  the  tithing  law  ? 
Like  a  glittering  axe,  with  edge  that  cannot  be 
dulled,  and  driven  by  the  hand  of  a  strong  axe- 
man, is  the  tithing  law,  when  it  is  accepted  as 
binding  in  its  claim  upon  the  heart,  with  that  heart 
full  of  love  to  God,  and  when  the  conscience  by 
that  love  is  made  alive  to  its  obligations  to  its 
fellow  men  and  to  its  Maker. 

7.  Communism,  which  is  a  sort  of  reckless  giv- 


ANSWEKS  TO  OBJECTIONS  217 

ing  up  of  all,  was  never  a  success  in  Jerusalem  or 
anywhere  else.  Instance  the  Brook  Farm  experi- 
ment, the  Oneida  Community  in  E'ew  York,  the 
Labor  Exchange  in  operation  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in 
the  'TO's,  all  of  them  the  vagaries  of  zeal  without 
knowledge.  The  safer  plan  is  to  give  up  the  tenth 
and  retain  in  unselfishness  the  nine-tenths. 

8.  If  Paul  is  wrong,  and  Christ  is  not  now  re- 
ceiver of  tithes  in  heaven,  then  the  great  doctrinal 
teachings  of  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  is  of  none 
effect ;  and  further : 

(1)  Paul's  declaration,  and  consequently  his  life, 
is  a  lie. 

(2)  Christ  is  less  than  Melchizedek. 

9.  John  Calvin's  argument,  I  believe,  has  never 
been  successfully  answered,  viz. :  "  A  priesthood 
has  a  perpetual  right  to  the  tithe."  Admit  the 
soundness  of  Calvin's  position,  then  the  ministry  of 
to-day  is  entitled  to  the  tithes,  and  Christ  has  a 
perpetual  claim  upon  them,  which  no  lapse  of  time, 
jio  logic,  no  covetousness,  can  successfully  deny,  or 
successfully  withhold. 

10.  "  In  Jacob's  time,  when  there  was  no  priest- 
hood to  support,  and  when  each  head  of  a  house- 
hold was  obliged  to  perform  the  functions  of  a 
priest,  tithing  was  nevertheless  obligatory."  Argu- 
ment of  Eev.  Henry  Constable. 

11.  "  Let  every  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store 
as  God  hath  prospered  him  "  ^  is  an  apostolic  in- 
junction, not  a  suggestion.    Hence  it  argues ; 

*  1  Cor.  xvi.  2. 


218  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

(1)  Systematic  giving,  with  the  tithe  as  a  mini- 
mum. 

(2)  Proportionate  giving,  which  is  the  essence  of 
Moses'  law. 

12.  If  the  tithe  is  not  now  in  force,  then  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  without  any  recognized  or 
provided  financial  foundation.  God  has  spoken, 
not  twice,  but  once^  but  if  this  be  true,  which  some 
say,  that  the  system  of  tithing  is  done  away,  then 
His  voice,  when  He  spoke  tithing  into  being,  was 
only  intended  to  echo  for  a  little  while,  to  die  away 
in  the  caverns  of  forgetful  and  forgetting  oblivion. 
"  My  word  shall  .  .  .  accomplish  that  which  I 
please,"  *  saith  God.  "  There  hath  not  failed  one 
word  of  all  His  good  promise."  ^ 

13.  "If  it  is  lawful  to  spend  more  than  nine- 
tenths  on  one's  self,  then  a  Christian  has  a.  right  to 
be  more  selfish  than  a  Jew,  and  Christianity  has 
lowered  a  virtue."  Argument  of  F.  O.  Ballard, 
Presbyterian  divine. 

14.  Justice  and  obligation  demand  the  tithe. 
The  Bible  is  one  system,  not  two.  There  is  a  triune 
God,  and  the  Bible  is  an  expression  from  out  the 
triune  nature,  but  "  God  is  One."  God's  Word  is 
one.  The  later  prophets  are  the  very  ones  who 
demand  in  the  strongest  language,  and  with  the 
fiercest  imprecations,  the  observance  of  The  Law 
of  the  Tithe.  This  could  not  be,  if  the  law 
carried  with  it  a  lessening  and  dying  obligation. 
The  "  oughtness  "  of  the  tithe  is  just  as  great  at 

» laa.  Iv.  11.  » 1  Kings  viii.  56. 


ANSWERS  TO  OBJECTIONS  219 

the  last,  when  the  Old  Testament  canon  is  being 
closed,  as  it  is  at  the  first,  when  the  lamp  of  divine 
revelation  had  but  just  commenced  to  bum. 

"  The  tithe  was  to  set  the  cross  in  the  rrw/rket- 
jplace.  ,  .  .  The  tithe  would  yield  $78fi00fi00 
ommAially  for  the  swpport  of  the  Oosj^elP 


XIY 
HOW  TO  ORGANIZE  A  TITHING  CHURCH 

PREACHING  is  preparatory  to  the  practice 
of  the  tithe,  just  as  it  is  apt  to  be  to  the 
practice  of  any  other  divine  principle.  The 
minister  who  is  himself  a  tither,  and  whose  mind 
is  saturated  with  all  that  the  Bible  has  to  say  upon 
this  subject,  and  who  can  throw  upon  its  pages  all 
the  illumination  of  wide  reading  and  a  knowledge 
of  the  original  Biblical  tongues,  and  who  preaches 
in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power  *  can 
have  or  need  have  no  fear  that  his  hearers  will  be 
false  to  the  principle  of  the  tithe.  Especially 
should  the  minister  be  careful  to  set  forth  proof 
texts  by  thorough  and  well-wrought-out  expository 
preaching.  The  Bible  itself  becomes  its  own  best 
commentary  on  this  subject,  as  it  does  on  a  host  of 
other  subjects  not  related  to  tithing.  The  Scrip- 
tures, left  to  themselves,  will  often  accomplish  work 
that  preaching  will  fail  to  do,  through  the  making 
alive  of  the  Word  by  the  Spirit.  Those  who  hear 
the  strong  deliverances  of  the  law  and  the  proph- 
ets in  regard  to  the  tithe,  and  then  realize  in  addi- 
tion that  the  tithe  existed  before,  and  has  continued 
after,  the  giving  of  the  Mosaic  economy,  with  no 
diminution  or  abatement  of  moral  obligation  to 

» 1  Cor.  ii.  4. 

220 


HOW  TO  ORGANIZE  A  TITHING  CHURCH    221 

pay  tithes  after  that  economy  perished,  will  soon 
produce  in  his  hearer  convictions  that  it  will  be 
impossible  to  down;  convictions  that  will  either 
make  him  become  a  tithe  payer,  or  leave  him  con- 
scious that  somehow  he  is  not  in  the  divine  order  ; 
a  state  of  soul  which  always  occasions  backsliding 
and  unhappiness. 

Again:  Conviction  along  this  line  is  secured 
sometimes  just  as  conviction  comes  for  salvation — 
through  prayer ;  and  indeed,  an  awakening  on  the 
subject  of  fidelity  with  one's  tithe  is  a  kind  of 
salvation,  in  fact  it  is  salvation  from  the  sin  of  rob- 
bing God.  Earnest  prayer  on  the  part  of  the 
tithing  pastor  and  such  of  his  people  as  are  tithers, 
is  sure  to  lead  to  action  on  the  part  of  others — 
action  that  lines  up  the  life  alongside  the  promises 
of  God,  and  encourages  it  to  march  up  on  those 
promises  as  a  platform  for  new  activity  and  com- 
plete trust  in  God ;  and  which  leads  the  believer  so 
doing  to  expect  that  each  act  of  obedience  in  giv- 
ing will  open  for  him  the  windows  of  heaven/ 

Then  again,  we  are  hearing  rumors  nowadays  of 
the  springing  up  of  a  new  type  of  gospel  preacher 
and  teacher,  namely,  The  Tithing  Evangelist.  He 
is  in  a  class  all  by  himself ;  he  is  unique  on  account 
of  his  absolute  newness  in  modern  church  life.  His 
name  is  not  yet  "  Legion,"  but  perhaps  it  soon  will 
be.  This  type  of  preacher  has  studied  the  promises, 
tested  them  for  himself  by  actual  tithe-giving,  hats 
saturated  himself  with  all  that  the  Word  has  to  say 
»Mal.  iii.lO. 


222  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

upon  the  subject  of  sharing  with  God  one's  gains, 
knows  that  niggardliness  is  not  contemplated  in  the 
divine  scheme  and,  by  the  contagion  of  his  own 
enthusiasm,  makes  popular  and  acceptable  his 
teaching,  with  the  result  that  he  leaves  in  his  wake, 
everywhere  he  goes,  tithing  bands,  and  even  whole 
churches  of  tithers.  Many  of  the  pastors  who  have 
become  imbued  with  the  tithing  idea  have  evan- 
gelized their  own  churches  and  a  tithing  band  and 
tithing  practice  have  sprung  up  as  if  by  magic. 
All  this  labor  is  preparatory  to  the  organization  of 
The  Tithing  Church,  and  the  work  must  consist  at 
first  of  deep  seed  sowing,  if  the  best  and  most  far- 
reaching  results  are  to  be  secured.  Special  revivals, 
in  which  nothing  is  presented  but  the  various  Bible 
phases  of  giving,  may  be  found  very  profitable  as 
preparatory  to  the  ultimate  design  of  a  final  tithing 
organization. 

Another  agency  which  must  be  worked  with 
vigor  when  it  is  contemplated  to  lead  the  church 
into  tithing  activity  is  the  distribution  of  tithing 
literature.  To  assist  in  the  getting  of  such  infor- 
mation, the  reader  will  find  prefixed  to  this  work 
a  full  bibliography,  consistiug  of  lists  of  books, 
pamphlets,  periodicals  and  leaflets,  a  list  which  has 
been  carefully  sifted,  only  the  valuable  items  re- 
tained, and  the  publisher,  in  each  instance,  given. 
The  tracts  that  are  sent  out  by  the  Winona  Publish- 
ing Company,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Kane,  by  Eev.  Henry 
Lansdell  of  England,  by  the  publishing  houses  of 
the  various  religious  denominations,  will  be  found 


HOW  TO  ORGANIZE  A  TITHING  CHURCH     223 

ample  for  ordinary  purposes;  and  the  present 
volume  is  intended  to  demonstrate  the  fact  that  a 
work  on  tithing  can  be  made  profitable  to  the  gen- 
eral reader,  to  the  scholar,  and  as  a  literary  work 
to  be  perused  with  interest,  just  as  one  reads  any 
other  literary  work.  Tracts  that  are  condensed  so 
as  to  give  the  very  cream  of  the  whole  discussion 
can  be  bought  and  sown  knee-deep  in  every  con- 
gregation whose  pastor  feels  anxious  for  an  awaken- 
ing along  these  lines ;  and  the  reaction  will  come  in 
a  tidal  wave  of  popular  and  earnest  conviction. 
These  documents  ought  to  be  distributed,  not  all  at 
once,  but  only  as  fast  as  the  people  can  read,  dis- 
cuss and  digest  them,  say  at  intervals  of  one  or  two 
months,  or  even  "once  a  quarter."  Four  or  five 
distributions  of  this  kind  should  be  followed  by 
fresh  calls  to  the  altar,  of  people  who  may  be  con- 
science stricken,  or  who  may  desire  to  pay  into  the 
treasury  what  the  government  of  the  United  States 
caDs  "Conscience  Money."  One  pastor  of  my 
acquaintance  took  this  plan,  and  one  brother,  whose 
conscience  was  troubled  with  the  memory  of  many 
robberies  committed  upon  the  "Lord's  Pocket- 
book,"  made  a  restitution  gift  of  one  thousand  dol- 
lars ;  and  then  told  of  it  in  the  next  annual  gather- 
ing of  his  fellow  pastors,  exciting  their  wondering 
comment,  and  their  loud  "  amens,"  as  the  narrative 
proceeded.  "  Go  thou  and  do  likewise  ; "  for  it  was 
an  apposite  story  that  is  told  by  Dr.  J.  W,  Mahood 
of  a  motor  car  conductor  sitting  beside  a  man  at 
church  service,  a  man  who  refused  to  put  anything 


224:  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

in  the  collection  basket,  which  provoked  the  indus- 
trious harvester  of  nickels  to  reach  up  and  pull  an 
imaginary  bell  cord,  unconsciously  wishing  to  put 
the  sponger  "  off  the  car." 

The  literary  campaign  which  I  have  just  been 
describing  cannot  fail  to  result  in  something  else, 
namely, 

THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  TITHING  BANDS 

These  need  not  be  new  organizations,  but  may 
simply  be  Sunday-school  classes  that  have  taken 
up  and  digested  the  matter  of  tithing  and  have 
caught  the  tithing  spirit  and  religiously  devoted 
their  all  to  the  service  and  glory  of  Almighty 
God.  Again,  they  may  be  classes  of  people  who 
have  been  formed  for  religious  instruction,  with  the 
gospel  of  giving  as  the  climax  of  their  spiritual 
education;  again,  it  may  be  the  so-called  "class 
meeting  "  or  "  class,"  as  it  is  denominated  in  some 
quarters,  that  becomes  a  tithing  band ;  or,  lastly,  it 
may  be  a  band  organized  outright  for  the  specific 
purpose  of  making  tithing  popular  and  of  securing 
speakers  and  the  distribution  of  literature,  of 
evangelistic  services  and  Bible  reading,  altar  serv- 
ices and  such  like,  to  spread  the  glory  of  the  king- 
dom of  God. 

To  secure  the  organization  of  such  a  band,  there 
should  be  a  member-to-member  canvass,  with  the 
understanding  that  no  one  is  to  be  a  "  conscience 
for  the  others,"  but  that  all  are  to  be  left  free  to 
follow  their  convictions,  and  the  dictates  of  their 


HOW  TO  ORGANIZE  A  TITHING  CHURCH     225 

own  reason.  This  will  secure  harmony  and  will 
provoke  no  antagonisms.  Let  it  be  understood  in 
the  canvass  that  all  who  will  consent  to  bring  in 
their  undivided  tithes  to  the  treasury  of  the  church 
will  not  be  assessed,  or  asked  to  name  any  definite 
amount  they  will  give  to  God,  farther  than  the 
simple  tithe ;  and,  further,  let  it  be  understood 
that  this  undivided  tithe  will  be  administered  by 
the  ofiicers  of  the  church  in  accordance  with  sound 
ideas  and  rules  of  business,  the  Word  of  God,  and 
the  dictates  of  sanctified  common  sense.  The  people 
will  then  have  but  one  concern, — to  bring  in  the 
full  tithe  every  week,  giving  themselves  no  further 
thought  in  the  matter,  except  to  elect  those  to 
office  whom  they  can  trust  for  a  fair  and  impartial 
distribution  of  the  fund  to  current  expenses,  and 
to  all  benevolent  objects  which  the  official  board, 
after  a  full  canvass  of  the  subject,  has  agreed  that 
it  will  be  wise  to  support.  In  general,  this  will 
have  to  suffice  for  the  year  to  which  such  action 
applies,  for  to  include  anything  else  in  the  scheme 
of  benevolence  wiU  be  to  rob  the  agencies  which 
the  church,  at  the  opening  of  its  fiscal  year, 
agreed  to  support. 

As  soon  as  the  tithing  scheme  is  fully  installed, 
let  nothing  be  said  further,  except  as  may  be 
necessary  in  demonstrating  the  success  of  the 
matter  from  the  standpoint  and  in  the  light  of  the 
Word  of  God.  Lead  all  to  see  that  now,  as  never 
before,  they  have  a  right  to  put  God  and  His  Word 
to  the  test ;  that  they  have  a  right  to  expect  as  a 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

consequence  the  "  opening  of  the  windows  of 
heaven"  in  rich  blessing,  inspiration,  new  ideals, 
victory  in  the  soul,  joy  of  the  Lord  unspeakable, 
harmony  among  members,  sudden  and  overwhelm- 
ing access  of  interest  among  those  outside  the 
Church, — all  this  follows  as  the  day  follows  the 
night.  The  result  has  come  to  popular  knowledge 
in  the  experience  of  such  churches  as  Walnut  Hill 
(Methodist),  Cincinnati ;  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Wichita,  Kansas ;  the  congregation 
served  by  that  eminent  preacher  of  tithing,  F.  O. 
Ballard,  Indianapolis  (Presbyterian) ;  the  church  of 
which  S.  S.  Hough  is  pastor  (United  Brethren) ;  for 
information  regarding  which  the  reader  is  referred 
to  Chapter  XII,  which  deals  with  "  Concrete  Modern 
Instances." 

As  soon  as  demonstration  comes  of  divine  bless- 
ing on  the  tithing  law  when  observed,  there  will 
result  revivals  of  religion  which  will  bring  con- 
stant growth  in  the  number  of  those  who  are 
tithers ;  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  hope  in  any  given 
instance  that  the  using  of  the  plans  outlined  above 
will  result,  in  two  or  three  years,  in  the  whole  body 
of  the  Church  becoming  one  great  tithing  band, 
whose  inspiration,  hope,  courage,  aggressiveness, 
evangelism,  and  spirituality  will  be  a  joy  to  the 
Saviour,  and  to  all  the  angels  of  God. 


XV 

A  VISION  OP  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE 

HE  who  cultivates  the  "Vision"  contem- 
plated under  this  caption  will  be  obliged 
to  look  away  from  the  fact  that  one-half 
of  Christendom  makes  no  offering  to  foreign  mis- 
sions. While  we  cannot  bring  within  the  range  of 
our  sight  the  beatific  vision  of  John  in  the  Isle  of 
Patmos,  still  there  are  omens  of  hope  in  the  sky 
which  proclaim  the  rising  dawn  of  a  better  day  ; 
and  one  of  the  facts  that  is  ominous  is  that  the 
English  language  is  crossing  all  continents,  all 
seas  and  the  isles  in  them  with  such  a  tremendous 
stride  that  sixty-eight  per  cent,  of  the  news  of  the 
world  is  told  in  that  language,  thirty-two  per  cent, 
is  narrated  by  all  other  languages,  while  eighty-five 
per  cent,  of  all  the  world's  religious  and  missionary 
work  is  carried  on  in  English,  with  every  indication 
that  the  per  centages  in  English  will  go  higher 
and  higher  yet,  until  it  shall  make  still  heavier 
encroachment  upon  the  other  tongues  of  the  world. 
Diocletian  struck  his  coin,  inscribed  "This  was 
coined  by  Diocletian  who  destroyed  Christianity  " ; 
yet  the  false  belief  which  this  inscription  declared 
is  nullified  by  the  fact  that  to-day  one-third  of  the 
world's  population  is  Christian,  and  that  since  the 

227 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

formation  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
and  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  the  joint  output 
of  Bibles  has  been  something  like  500,000,000 
copies,  and  20,000,000  of  these  have  been  dis- 
tributed in  China  within  the  period  since  our  own 
Civil  War,  and  up  to  190T ;  and  the  distribution 
since  that  time  amounts  to  millions  more. 

This  day  is  the  day  of  opportunity  for  the  man 
of  wealth,  as  it  is  also  the  day  of  opportunity  of 
the  man  of  moderate  means.  As  to  the  former, 
the  man  who  has  held  the  sceptre  of  the  United 
States  Steel  Corporation,  the  man  of  whom  it  has 
been  said  that  the  power  which  was  his  as  the  head 
of  this  great  concern  outmatched  the  power  of 
most  modern  kings,  this  man  has  had  this  to  say, 
and  it  is  worth  quoting  for  the  lesson  it  conveys  : 
'*  This,  then,  is  held  to  be  the  duty  of  the  man  of 
wealth :  to  set  an  example  of  modest,  unostenta- 
tious living,  shunning  display  or  extravagance ;  to 
provide  moderately  for  the  legitimate  wants  of 
those  dependent  upon  him ;  and,  after  doing  so,  to 
consider  all  surplus  revenues  which  come  to  him 
simply  as  trust  funds,  which  he  is  called  upon  to 
administer,  and  strictly  bound  as  a  matter  of  duty 
to  administer,  in  the  manner  which,  in  his  judg- 
ment, is  best  calculated  to  produce  the  most  benefi- 
cial results  for  the  community — the  man  of  wealth 
thus  becoming  the  mere  trustee  and  agent  for  his 
poorer  brethren,  bringing  to  their  service  his  supe- 
rior wisdom,  experience  and  ability  to  administer, 
doing  for  them  better  than  they  would  or  could  do 


A  VISION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE        229 

for  themselves."  This  homily  on  giving  is  from 
the  pen  of  one  of  the  greatest  magnates  of  wealth 
in  the  whole  world.  It  is  probable  that,  in  all  the 
annals  of  modern  days,  we  have  never  before  wit- 
nessed, as  we  are  doing  now,  the  stirring  of  the 
hearts  of  men  of  wealth  with  a  deep  desire  to 
benefit  and  to  bless  humanity.  Until  recent  times, 
it  has  never  been  the  idea  of  men  in  the  mass  that 
wealth  is  to  be  used  for  any  purpose  but  to  bless 
one's  self  and  one's  own  ;  but  it  is  swiftly  becoming 
true  that  men  in  the  mass,  including  the  mass  of 
the  men  of  wealth,  are  coming  to  see  that  after  a 
certain  point  reached  in  acquisition,  family  claims 
cease  to  be  paramount,  and  the  claims  of  humanity 
at  large  then  loom  up,  great  and  overshadowing. 
In  fact,  the  income  tax  has  been  proposed,  and  the 
inheritance  tax  is  an  extension  of  the  idea,  making  it 
clear  that  the  underl3dng  principle  of  discussion  is 
that  a  man  owes  a  duty  of  acquisition  to  the  state  ; 
and  after  a  certain  height  to  which  his  riches  have 
been  piled,  all  above  belongs  to  the  state  abso- 
lutely; so  that  each  man  of  wealth  is  money 
maker,  not  to  his  family  alone,  but  to  the  common 
weal. 

With  this  new  conception  of  things  in  the  minds 
of  the  masses,  the  Church  has  entered  into  the 
twentieth  century  ;  and  the  leaven  of  a  large  and 
nobler  gospel  of  wealth  is  extending  through  the 
whole  mass  of  the  meal  of  human  social  sentiment, 
"  until  the  whole  shall  be  leavened  "  ;  and  the  day 
of  that  leavening,  methinks,  is  not  so  far  off  after 


230  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

all.  If  it  should  be  asked  why  Providence  allows 
the  billionaire  who  becomes  benevolent,  let  me  say 
that  I  think  it  is  because  God  took  the  mass  of  the 
world's  money  out  of  the  hands  of  the  mass  who 
were  not  benevolent  to  any  pronounced  degree, 
and  put  it  into  the  hands  of  the  billionaire,  await- 
ing the  time  when  benevolence  should  strike  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  masses,  in  obedience  to  the 
demands  of  The  Law  of  the  Tithe.  The  Church 
has  neglected  real  giving,  so  God  has  raised  up 
men  of  princely  financial  genius,  with  possessions 
that  would  make  Croesus  look  like  a  beggar,  to 
stand  for  the  mass,  and  to  give  for  the  mass,  until 
the  mass  awakes  to  its  obligations,  and  gives  for 
itself.  The  mighty  millions  of  Eockefeller,  in  the 
opinion  of  their  founder,  have  yielded  their  reve- 
nues for  family  interest,  and  now  must  pay  their 
full  tribute  of  toll  to  the  world-family.  Mr.  Car- 
negie's "  Gospel  of  Wealth  "  will  some  day  be  the 
mind-controlling  and  heart-controlling  gospel  of 
Croesuses  everywhere. 

That  such  is  to  be  the  case  is  evidenced,  not  only 
by  the  more  liberal  secular  view,  but  it  is  guar- 
anteed and  foreshadowed  by  the  fact  that  through 
all  Christendom  just  now  is  a  rising  wave  of  senti- 
ment, looking  to  the  restoration,  into  its  full  force, 
of  The  Law  of  the  Tithe ;  and  this  restoration  will 
not  be  bolstered  and  iron-bound  by  legal  exactions, 
as  though  humanity  is  to  be  scourged  into  alle- 
giance and  compliance  and  partnership  with  God, 
but  it  is  an  agitation  which  will  result  in  sponta- 


A  VISION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE       231 

neous  and  joyful  acceptance  of  a  principle,  and  a 
still  more  joyful  compliance  with  it.  Where 
democracy  exists,  the  path  is  open  for  such  a 
liberal  and  enlightened  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
God ;  but  where  monarchy  is  in  control,  the  mere 
desire  to  protect  its  own  revenues  will  lead  in- 
evitably to  encroachments  upon  the  rights,  privi- 
leges and  prerogative  of  the  Church.  This  has 
been  the  history  of  the  case  everywhere  and  in  all 
ages.  It  was  a  profound  truth  which  Jehovah  ex- 
pressed to  Samuel,  after  Israel  clamored  for  a  king, 
when  He  said,  "  They  have  not  rejected  thee,  but 
they  have  rejected  Me."  The  injection  of  mon- 
archy into  the  political  scheme  always  means  the 
lessening  of  the  revenues,  which  are  let  flow  into 
the  Church  for  the  enlargement  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  and  when  a  man  turns  monarch  of  him- 
self, and  refuses  to  recognize  the  exalted  kingship 
of  Christ,  and  the  lofty  nature  of  that  kingdom  of 
which  it  is  meant  that  individual  man  should  be  a 
part,  there  is  decay  of  that  interest  which  other- 
wise might  be  led  by  its  beneficence  to  bless 
millions  by  giving  millions. 

Several  considerations  now  appear,  as  we  find 
our  thought  led  up  to  that  master  idea,  "  A  Vision 
of  the  Church  to  Be,"  one  of  which  is  that,  as  said 
in  a  former  paragraph,  one-half  of  Christendom 
now  makes  no  offering  for  missions  ;  no  offering  for 
the  spread  of  righteousness  in  the  earth.  The  part 
of  Christendom,  which  is  guilty  of  this  negligence 
towards  this  scheme  in  God's  program  for  saving 


THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

the  world,  is  self-centred,  and  is  like  some  unhappy 
lighthouse,  the  beams  of  whose  lamp  are  all  turned 
inward,  to  chase  each  other  around  the  interior  of  a 
light-filled,  light-saturated  dome,  without  being 
allowed  to  escape  to  make  safe  the  landing  of  the 
ships  in  the  harbor  yonder,  and  failing  to  light  up 
the  rocks  and  shoals  on  which  many  a  hapless  sailor 
has  already  been  dashed  to  his  own  death.  Such  a 
spirit  in  Christendom  is  an  anachronism  ;  and  fails 
of  the  enlightenment  of  the  Gospel ;  it  argues  a  Chris- 
tianity that  either  has  lost  its  savor,  or  else  has 
never  been  salted ;  and  as  an  anachronism  it  must  be 
done  away  by  turning  forward  the  hands  of  the 
clock  of  time  that  are  moved  by  the  beating  pendu- 
lum of  human  progress  that  responded  to  the  main- 
spring of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Let  the  pendulum  swing 
in  a  civilization  nominally  Christian,  but  unsalted  of 
true  righteousness,  and  it  can  never  move  to  the 
uttermost  limit  of  the  arc.  Its  movements  in  conse- 
quence will  be  irregular  and  uncertain,  and  its 
powers  will  always  be  circumscribed  by  the  limits 
of  human  selfishness. 

Yet  there  is  no  room  here  for  any  spirit  of 
pessimism.  There  is  no  place  where  one  can  sit 
down  with  Schopenhauer  and  indulge  in  a  philoso- 
phy of  pessimism,  and  devote  a  large  share  of  one's 
thinking  and  a  good  part  of  one's  writings  to  it  as 
Schopenhauer  has  done.  No,  no.  The  Sun  of 
Kighteousness,  which  rose  nineteen  centuries  ago 
upon  a  broken  spirited  and  benighted  world,  brought 
such   blessed  healing  in  His  wings  that  it  will 


A  VISION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE       233 

never,  never  depart ;  and  the  work  of  curing  the 
crooked  and  deformed  opinions  and  impulses  of  a 
sin-cursed  humanity  will  go  steadily  onward,  spite 
of  the  raging  demons  in  a  hell  defeated,  spite  of 
all  the  erring  of  which  man  has  been  guilty,  and  to 
which,  without  the  Gospel,  he  would  have  been 
forever  prone.  Grant  this  view  of  the  case,  and  by 
a  logic  that  is  irresistible  several  conclusions  are 
bound  to  follow,  as  we  contemplate  our  "  Yision  of 
the  Church  to  Be." 

The  key  of  the  world's  treasuries  is  going 
presently  to  be  turned  in  the  lock  towards  the 
side  which  opens  the  lock,  and  the  date  is  not  far 
distant  when  this  shall  be.  Some  one  has  said  that 
**  the  time  locks  of  God  are  set  for  the  twentieth 
century."  John  K.  Mott  has  pointed  out,  and 
proved  by  irresistible  logic,  that  the  "  evangelization 
of  the  world  is  possible  in  this  generation."  The 
only  thing  that  hinders  is  the  slowness  of  the 
cooperation  of  man  with  God  in  turning  the  key  in 
the  lock  of  the  treasury.  Once  the  obligation  that 
one-tenth  as  a  minimum  is  owed  to  God  gets  hold 
of  the  human  heart,  the  gold  of  human  beneiicence 
will  pile  up  in  the  Church's  treasure-houses,  if  the 
Church's  impulse  to  use  it  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  will  let  it  lie  there  an  hour.  When  that 
day  comes  the  gold  in  the  vaults  of  the  Church  will 
rival  the  gold  which  ISiature  still  has  in  her  lap  and 
concealed  in  her  bosom.  The  gold  below  ground 
will  then  be  rivalled  in  preciousness  and  in  abun- 
dance by  the  gold  in  the  treasuries  of  beneficence 


234  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

throughout  the  globe.  God  never  impels  to  nig- 
gardly giving  but  inspires  the  giver,  if  Divinity 
prevails,  to  turn  the  cornucopia  downward,  and  let 
its  treasures  run  out  bountifully  and  munificently ; 
and  then  repeats  the  miracle  of  Elijah's  barrel  of 
meal  and  his  cruse  of  oil,  and  keeps  filling  the 
cornucopia  faster  than  its  contents  can  exhaust 
themselves ;  always  that  God  has  other  "  horns  of 
plenty,"  for  those  who  honor  Him,  in  greater 
number  than  any  single  generation  of  men  will  be 
able  to  discover ;  and  that  the  way  to  discover  them 
is  to  keep  giving  out  of  the  horn  one  has  in  his  hand, 
paying  God  His  dividends ;  and  then,  by  a  stroke 
of  His  divine  beneficence.  He  will  bless,  and  will 
charge  with  unheard-of  potentialities  the  nine-tenths 
that  are  left. 

Such  giving  as  this,  actuated  by  such  a  spirit  as 
this,  will  send  more  men  into  the  field,  and  will  turn 
in  also  all  the  necessary  means  to  support  them. 
Some  one  has  said  that  Midas  and  Croesus,  if  they 
were  alive  to-day,  and  should  be  compared  to  some 
men  of  wealth  of  our  own  generation,  would 
scarcely  be  able  to  keep  out  of  the  poorhouse.  So 
far  as  heaven  is  concerned,  multitudes  of  Christians 
have  been  in  the  poorhouse  with  a  bankruptcy 
without  remedy  because  their  covetousness  was  wil- 
fully incurable.  As  says  Bishop  Bashford  :  "  There 
are  millionaires  who  through  eternity  will  be  poorer 
than  the  children  of  the  almshouses."  The  cure  for 
self-indulgence  and  extravagance  and  poverty  on  the 
one  side,  and  for  spiritual  poverty  on  the  other 


A  VISION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE        235 

side,  is  proportionate  giving.      "Nine-tenths  plus 
God  are  more  than  ten-tenths  without  Him." 

In  this  "  Vision  of  the  Church  to  Be,"  another 
thought  comes,  which  to  my  mind  has  in  it  the 
elements  of  a  truth  that  is  great  and  overwhelming 
in  its  importance,  namely,  that  one  of  the  causes  of 
national  sorrow  in  America,  the  heart-breaking 
panics  that  sweep  over  the  country  periodically, 
will  receive  a  powerful  check,  if  the  tithing  system 
should  come  into  vogue  in  the  Church  throughout 
the  republic.  This  check  may  some  time  assume 
the  importance  of  an  absolute  preventative.  The 
great  cause  for  Black  Death  in  the  Orient  is  filth 
unremoved,  and  lack  of  sanitation  and  the  great 
cause  of  American  panics  is  a  failure  to  provide  the 
proper  moral  sanitation  against  unreasonable 
speculation  and  wild  extravagance.  "  The  margin 
is  the  key  to  fortunes,"  says  Bishop  Bashford. 
Hence,  the  margin  is  not  to  be  frittered  away  by 
yielding  to  the  temptation  to  live  beyond  one's 
means.  Nothing  can  be  devised  that  operates  more 
powerfully  to  protect  this  margin  than  the  giving  of 
the  tithe.  He  who  is  careful  of  his  tenth  will  be 
careful  of  his  nine-tenths  ;  hence,  I  say,  that  if  the 
tithing  system  is  restored  to  Protestant  America,  it 
will  become  a  powerful  antidote  against  the  spirit 
of  extravagance,  and  a  tremendous  check  to  disas- 
trous panics,  if  it  does  not  become  for  them  an  ab- 
solute preventative.  Inflated  values  and  high  rates 
of  loans  always  follow  in  the  wake  of  overanxious 
speculation  and  overindulgent  living.    Therefore, 


236  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

should  millions  of  our  church  population  become 
tithers,  the  finances  of  the  nation  will  be  conserved, 
and  the  Church  grow  better  and  better  entrenched 
with  the  millions  that  she  needs.  She  will  become 
more  and  more  the  partaker  of  stability,  and  hence 
of  the  loftiest  principles  of  churchly  honor  ;  she  will 
never  discount  her  bills,  and  in  consequence  be  dis- 
counted. The  world  in  fact  will  realize  as  it  has 
never  yet  done  that  the  Church  is  the  soul  of  un- 
blemished credit  and  of  virtuous  honor  the  coTnjplete 
emhodiment  and  personification. 

Another  result  of  this  rising  strength  in  financial 
resource,  of  this  multiplying  of  material  aids  in 
spiritual  progress,  will  be  that  the  Church's  minis- 
try will  be  maintained,  not  in  afiiuence,  which  is 
unnecessary,  but  in  the  affluence  of  comfort,  and  the 
double  affluence  of  freedom  from  worry  and  from 
care.  The  psychological  shock  and  interruption  of 
unnecessary  but  none  the  less  grinding  poverty  has 
interfered  with  the  intellectual  progress  of  the 
world,  how  much  only  God  knows  and  can  reveal. 
The  Church  has  always  led  in  the  march  of  inven- 
tion, of  scientific  discovery,  fond  as  skeptical 
writers  are  of  alleging  the  contrary ;  she  has  always 
pioneered  the  way  through  the  mazes  of  the  forest 
of  intellectual  darkness  to  the  light  that  has  always 
been  shining  beyond ;  but  let  it  be  remembered 
that  through  all  the  ages  since  she  started  on  this 
glorious  march  towards  the  Millennium,  her  serv- 
ants have  been  hampered  in  their  researches, 
checked  and  bewildered  in  their  thinking,  by  the 


A  VISION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE       237 

lack  of  money  which  has  made  books  to  many  men 
an  impossibility,  and  a  library  an  impossibility ; 
and  if  perchance  he  has  gathered  about  him  a  few 
books,  the  failure  to  support  him  as  he  should  be 
supported  has  sent  him  into  premature  mental  dry- 
ness for  lack  of  the  stimulating  thought  which 
books  would  afford  him  in  feeding  the  powers  of 
the  mind,  and  rejuvenating  its  processes.  Hence 
has  arisen  the  wide  prevalence  of  the  idea  that 
"  man  passes  the  dead  line  at  forty-five  or  fifty." 
It  is  a  miserable  financial  system  or  rather  the  lack 
of  any  system  in  the  Church  that  is  at  fault.  It  is 
the  niggardly  support  the  Church  has  given  to  her 
ministry  which  has  brought  to  light  and  imposed 
"  the  dead  line,"  and  a  comfortable  and  easy  sup- 
port, easily  brought  about  by  the  tithing  system, 
will  enable  any  minister  to  add  a  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  books  each  year  to  his  library,  and  add 
twenty  years  to  the  time  for  the  imposition  upon 
his  life  of  the  dead  line,  and  remove  the  thought 
that  perhaps  the  large  and  growing  library, 
handled  by  the  man  of  large  and  growing  intellec- 
tual powers,  will  need  to  be  moved  very  often. 

Again,  my  "  Vision  "  reveals  to  me  a  Church  so 
well  financed  that  she  never  halts  by  the  wayside 
waiting  for  reenforcements  as  she  does  now.  Her 
means  in  the  day  of  the  reestablished  tithe  will  be 
so  abundant  that  she  will  never  halt  in  her  vic- 
torious march,  but  like  part  of  an  army  moving  to 
its  assigned  station  at  review,  each  department  of 
the  great  Church  will  swing  into  the  battle  line, 


238  THE  LAW  OF  THE  TITHE 

and  without  a  single  halt  will  move  into  each  new 
field  of  conquest.  There  will  then  be  no  plaintive 
calls  for  money  and  for  men,  for  both  will  be  on 
the  march  in  such  overwhelming  force  that  they 
will  be  available  for  all  the  rapid  and  successful 
gospel  manoeuvre.  The  Captain  of  our  salvation 
for  the  first  time  in  history  will  have  at  ready 
command  all  the  cohorts  He  needs. 

In  that  glorious  day  of  the  realization  of  proph- 
ecy, "  the  morning  drum-beat  of  the  Church  will 
encircle  the  earth  with  one  continuous  and  un- 
broken strain  of  the  martial  airs  "  of  King  Jesus. 
Each  tap  of  the  resounding  drum  shall  summons 
new  hosts  of  His  conquering  clans. 

Thus  far  the  tithe.  But  now  I  will  announce 
the  greatest  discovery  I  have  made  in  the  in- 
vestigation of  this  subject,  that  the  tithe  itself  is 
only  a  part  of  the  Hebrew,  and  hence  divine, 
system  of  giving.  All  tithes  were  obligatory,  as 
well  as  the  sin-offering  ;  but  aside  from  these  two 
great  offerings,  the  others  in  the  main  were  of 
free  will.  In  other  words,  a  Hebrew  did  not  con- 
sider that  he  had  given  at  all  until  he  had  got 
beyond  his  tithe  in  what  was  offered.  He  paid 
his  tithes,  the  rest  he  gave  ;  and,  therefore,  when 
we  have  disposed  of  the  Law  of  the  Tithe,  we 
have  traversed  only  half  the  field.  The  realm  of 
the  Free  "Will  Offering  is  a  vast  one,  and  cannot 
be  entered  now.  We  are  like  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
who  on  his  dying  bed,  looking  back  over  a  life 


A  VISION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  BE       230 

whose  whole  extent  sparkled  with  his  achievements 
like  stars  in  a  clear  sky,  said  as  he  gazed,  "  I  seem 
to  have  been  like  a  boy  playing  upon  the  seashore, 
amusing  myself  with  a  smoother  pebble  or  a 
prettier  shell  than  ordinary,  while  the  great  ocean 
of  truth  lay  undiscovered  before  me." 

A  great  ocean  of  theocratic  direction  and  practice 
lies  in  the  land  of  the  Free  Will  Oifering  and 
the  Principality  of  the  Tithe  is  not  in  it.  Each 
of  these  is  a  hallowed,  heavenly  country.  Trav- 
eller, when  you  have  exhausted  the  beauties  and 
the  joys  of  the  one,  explore  the  other ;  for  they 
are  both  provinces  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

The  Church  is  exploring  them.  Pluck  garlands 
of  victory  in  anticipation ;  garlands  of  hope  and 
faith  and  praise  and  prayer ;  and  throw  palm 
branches  before  the  triumphal  progress  of  my  King 
who  rode  on  a  mule  into  Jerusalem,  but  now 
comes  in  the  conquering  chariot  of  the  King  of 
Peace.  Hark.  Listen.  You  can  hear  the  thunder 
of  the  rushing  wheels.  God  of  heaven,  speed  the 
day  of  the  victorious  Law  of  the  Tithe. 


Appendix 

Note  A  on  Chapter  lY 

IN  the  list  of  fruits  given  in  ttds  chapter,  as  be- 
longing  to  the  larder  of  a  minister  of  God, 
B.  0.  1500,  as,  "  apples,  pears,  peaches,"  etc.,  it 
is  not  meant  that  these  words  are  to  be  understood 
too  literally ;  but  that  I  have  translated  oriental 
into  occidental  concepts,  so  that  the  essence  of  the 
matter  might  be  brought  more  vividly  home  to  the 
mind  of  the  reader. 

Wote  B  on  Chwpter  V 
It  is  plain  to  any  one  reading  it  that  the  chapter 
entitled,  "  Voices  of  the  Hebrew  Fathers  (Prophets 
and  Talmudists),"  is  incomplete.  The  spirit  of  the 
Talmud  in  regard  to  the  matter  of  benevolence  is 
shown,  but  the  specific  interpretations  of  the  Rab- 
bins in  regard  to  the  tithe  are  for  the  most  part 
omitted.  The  author  had  the  vexatious  experience 
of  not  being  able  to  secure  either  a  German  or  a 
Latin  translation  of  "  Zerayim,"  the  part  of  the 
Talmud  which  deals  specifically  with  "  Tithes,"  nor 
was  there  accessible  a  copy  of  "  Zerayim  "  in  the 
original  Hebrew.  However,  he  has  secured  access 
to  a  partial  translation  from  the  Latin  by  Henry 
Lansdell ;  and  the  substance  thereof  appears  below. 

241 


242  APPENDIX 

Tradition  says  that  Moses  received  on  Sinai  oral 
explanations  of  the  law,  transmitted  by  him  through 
Joshua  and  the  seventy  elders  to  later  generations. 
In  the  days  of  the  Maccabees,  these  and  other  oral 
precepts  commenced  to  be  gathered  and  about  the 
opening  of  the  second  century,  A.  D.,  some  four 
thousand  decisions,  precepts  and  interpretations 
were  codified  into  Mishna  and  Gemara.  Mishna 
contains  "  Zerayim "  (Seeds).  Surenhusius  trans- 
lated the  Mishna  into  Latin,  Schwab  into  French, 
Goldschmidt  and  Sammter  into  German.  The  gen- 
eral rule  of  the  Talmud  is,  That  whatever  serves 
for  food,  is  worth  keeping,  and  grows  out  of  the 
ground,  is  subject  to  tithe,  as  weU  as  what  is  eat- 
able before  and  at  maturity.* 

WJien  Products  Are  cmd  Are  Not  Tithable 
Figs,  when  they  commence  to  ripen,  are  tithable  ; 
grapes,  when  transparent ;  mulberries,  when  turn- 
ing red ;  and  the  same  holds  of  black  fruit,  in  re- 
gard to  changing  color.  Gourds  and  cucumbers, 
when  the  down,  or  bloom,  has  gone  off,  or  when 
these  products  are  collected  in  heaps.  Vegetables 
in  bundles  must  be  tithed  when  packed  and  cov- 
ered. Dried  pomegranates,  when  heaped  up  ;  also, 
raisins  ;  onions,  when  they  peel ;  corn,  when  gath- 
ered ;  wine,  when  the  froth  of  fermentation  has 
risen.  Untithed  figs  offered  in  market  may  be 
eaten  there  untithed,  but  brought  home,  must  be 
tithed.  Hawkers  on  the  road  may  eat  of  their  figs, 
but  on  arriving  at  the  towns  or  at  Jerusalem,  must 


APPENDIX  243 

tithe  them,  when  they  spend  the  night  at  the  town 
of  sale.  Five  figs  boughten  must  be  tithed  ;  but  if 
the  consumer  is  allowed  to  select  ten  figs,  he  may 
eat  them,  one  by  one,  untithed.  Workmen  in  the 
field  may  eat  without  tithing,  if  the  law  allows 
eating.  Figs  in  the  owner's  yard  are  untithed  if 
eaten  while  drying,  unless  given  as  wages,  in  which 
case  the  receiver  must  tithe  them.  Olives  may  be 
eaten  singly  in  the  grove,  but  must  be  tithed  if  in 
quantity  ;  green  leaves  of  onions,  If  in  bundle,  must 
be  tithed  by  the  workmen  in  the  fields  who  get 
them  for  wages.  Products  on  watch-towers,  sheds, 
and  summer  houses  are  exempted.  If  one  gather 
figs  one  by  one  in  the  courtyard,  they  are  untithed ; 
but  if  in  quantity,  tithed.  Courtyard  trees  leaning 
towards  the  garden,  do  not  tithe ;  garden  trees 
leaning  towards  the  courtyard,  tithe.  Towns  on 
the  borders  of  Palestine  have  their  trees  tithed  or 
untithed,  according  to  the  leaning  of  the  trunk. 
(In  the  cities  of  refuge,  or  in  Jerusalem,  this  de- 
pended on  the  leanings  of  the  branches.)  One  pre- 
serving, cooking,  or  salting  fruits  must  tithe  them  ; 
but  if  underground,  they  are  untithable.  Olives 
from  a  basket,  one  by  one,  if  to  be  salted,  are  un- 
tithable, but  ready  salted,  are  tithable.  Buds  or 
sprays  of  fennel,  mustard,  white  beans,  are  tithable. 
Turnips  and  radishes  pulled  to  transplant  in  the 
same  field,  or  to  gather  seed  therefrom,  are  tithable. 
Products  for  the  market  may  not  be  sold  to  one 
suspected  of  not  paying  tithe,  nor  to  one  suspected 
of  not  keeping  the  Sabbatic  year,    l^or  could  straw, 


244  APPENDIX 

with  grains  of  com  in  it,  nor  dregs  of  oil,  nor  grape- 
skins  for  extracting  juice  therefrom,  be  sold  to  such 
suspects.  Holes  of  ants  containing  tithable  prod- 
ucts must  tithe  their  stolen  store.  Garlic  that 
makes  the  eyes  water,  the  onion  of  Eikhta,  peas  of 
Cilicia,  lentils  of  Egypt,  seeds  of  the  slender  leek, 
of  watercress,  of  onions,  of  beets,  and  of  radishes 
— seeds  that  are  not  eaten  as  such,  are  not  to  be 
tithed.  The  above  note  refers  simply  to  the  First 
Tithe. 

Directions  as  to  tJie  Second  Tithe 
This  tithe  consists  of  the  yearly  increase  of  the 
land,  to  be  eaten,  as  are  also  the  firstlings  of  the 
herds  and  flocks,  at  the  metropolis ;  or  if  too  far 
off  to  be  taken  thither,  convertible  into  money. 
The  Second  Tithe  could  not  be  sold,  but  out  of  it 
reciprocal  presents  might  be  exchanged.  It  was 
not  permissible  to  sell  the  tithe  of  living  cattle,  nor 
to  betroth  a  wife  with  the  price  thereof,  nor  to 
change  it  for  defaced  or  obsolete  money,  nor  for 
money  not  yet  in  possession.  Nor  could  the  price 
of  the  second  tithe  be  used  to  buy  slaves,  servants, 
lands,  or  unclean  animals.  Everything  taken  from 
the  tithe  in  any  way,  shape  or  form,  had  to  be  re- 
stored by  the  worshipper  on  reaching  Jerusalem. 
Most  Kabbins  held  that  food,  drink,  and  anointing 
expense,  while  at  Jerusalem,  might  be  taken  by 
the  devout,  from  the  second  tithe.  If  one  dropped 
his  tithe  with  other  coins,  the  tithe  was  first  to  be 
restored.    Small  coins  of  the  second  tithe,  if  changed 


APPENDIX  245 

in  part,  should  all  be  converted  into  shekels.  If  at 
Jerusalem,  shekels  changed  into  small  money  should 
be  into  copper.  Fruits  offered  to  neighbors  to 
take  to  Jerusalem  should  always  be  understood  as 
furnishing  a  mutual  feast.  Fruit  brought  to  Jeru- 
salem as  second  tithe  unused  might  not  be  taken 
away,  but  the  money  therefor  might  be.  Fruits 
brought  from  a  dear  to  a  cheap  market  yield  all 
the  extra  margin  as  tithe,  if  originally  second  tithe. 
This  tithe  redeemed  must  be  at  shopkeeper's  rate. 
Souring  wine,  damaged  fruit,  imperfect  coins,  must 
have  their  value  estimated  by  three  persons.  Money 
found  in  company  with  a  fragment  on  which  the 
word  "  tithe  "  was  written  was  all  sacred.  Yases 
inscribed  in  Hebrew,  "  D.  M.  K.,"  and  containing 
money,  were  not  sacred.  All  legal  dues  had  to  be 
paid  to  Grod  in  full  by  the  eve  of  the  Feast  of  the 
Passover.  On  the  last  day  of  the  feast,  towards 
the  hour  of  the  evening  sacrifice,  the  devout  He- 
brew declared,  "  I  have  brought  away  the  hallowed 
things  out  of  mine  house." 

Inferior  grapes,  artichokes,  service  berries,  shriv- 
elled dates,  late  grapes,  wild  grapes,  buds  of  capers, 
of  corianders,  etc.,  were  exempted  from  the  tithe. 
Green  vegetables  bought,  then  returned,  had  to  be 
tithed  before  their  return.  A  renter  who  farmed 
under  an  Israelite  had  to  levy  the  priestly  portion 
before  dividing  the  crop  with  his  landlord. 

"  The  Talmud  clearly  recognizes  the  first  or 
Levitical  tithe ;  the  second,  or  festival  tithe ;  the 
third,  or  poor  man's  tith^;  and  also  appears  to  add 


246  APPENDIX 

a  fourth  or  supplementary  tithe  of  a  tithe— that  is, 
a  levy  of  one  per  cent.,  for  the  priests,  in  certain 
cases  which  the  Pentateuch  left  open  to  doubt."  * 

Note  G — Editions  and  Translations  of  the  Talmud 
In  regard  to  this  matter,  I  received  from  Prof. 
Emil  G.  Hirsch,  of  Chicago  University,  the  follow- 
ing valuable  information,  which  is  worthy  to  be 
printed,  as  giving  clues  to  inquiring  students  of 
tithing  and  of  other  Bible  themes.  The  letter  is  as 
follows : 

"  Dear  Sir  : — The  Babylonian  Talmud  has  never 
been  rendered  in  its  entirety  into  English,  and  among 
those  parts  which  have  been  translated,  as  far  as  my 
knowledge  goes,  the  Mishnah  Zerayim  is  not  in- 
cluded. You  know  that  there  is  not  a  Gemara  to 
the  Mishnah  Zerayim  (with  the  exception  of  the 
"  Benedictions  ")  in  the  Babylonian  Talmud.  The 
Mishnah  has  been  translated  into  Latin  by  Suren- 
huysen,  into  German  by  Eabe.  These  are  perhaps 
not  easily  found  in  our  libraries  since  the  former 
was  published  at  Amsterdam  in  1698-1703,  and  the 
latter  at  Onolzbach  in  1760-1763.  But  other  Ger- 
man translations  are  extant  published  in  recent 
years.  I  mention  that  of  the  whole  Talmud,  your 
tractate  therefore  included,  by  Goldschmidt. 
Zerayim  appeared  as  Volume  I  in  1897.  But  for 
your  purpose  I  recommend  you  the  following  publi- 
cation :  Mishnayoth,  Hebrew  text  with  pointing, 
German  translation  and  commentary  by  D.  Hoff- 
man, Berlin,  First  Volume,  Berlin,  1888,  Zerayim 
by  Sammter.     I  regret  that  I  have  no  copy  of  this 

» Vide  Lausdell's  *'  The  Sacred  Teuth, "  pp.  119-136. 


APPENDIX  247 

work  in  my  possession.  But  Goldschmidt  is  in  my 
own  library.  The  Hebrew  of  Zerayim  is  like  that 
of  the  Mishnah,  not  very  difficult  to  master.  Still 
the  dictionary  will  not  be  sufficient  to  render  the 
content  clear.  Like  other  psirts  of  the  Tabnud  this 
requires  considerable  knowledge  of  Jewish  life 
in  remote  days,  and  this  knowledge  is  supplied  in 
the  Kabbinical  commentaries  which  are  printed  in 
the  margin  of  the  Kabbinical  editions  and  these  are 
printed  in  the  Rabbinical  alphabet  and  are  not 
easily  understood.  I  shall  be  happy  to  be  of  service 
to  you  in  any  way  you  may  see  fit.  Perhaps  we 
could  arrange  for  reading  the  tractate  together. 
It  will  not  take  many  hours. 

"  Yours  to  command, 

"  Emil  G.  Hiesch." 

The  above  letter  answers  many  questions  that 
might  be  asked  by  those  interested  in  the  Rab- 
binical view  of  tithes,  and  of  sources  of  material  for 
criticism  and  commentary  on  the  Jewish  practice. 

Note  D  on  Chapter  XI 
The  writer  would  not  have  any  one  understand 
that  he  has  any  words  of  criticism  for  the  Ladies' 
Aids  and  Exchanges  doing  a  noble  work  as  they  do 
among  the  various  religious  denominations.  Every 
pastor  knows  that  they  are  a  right  arm  of  power 
and  help  to  himself  in  his  pastorate.  The  author 
is  pleading  for  a  change  of  conditions  to  be  brought 
about  by  the  adoption  of  the  tithing  system,  such 
as  wiU  enable  all  women's  organizations  to  labor 
to  better  advantage,  untrammelled  by  the  customs 


248  APPENDIX 

of  the  past.  The  writer  can  command  no  language 
strong  enough  to  express  his  high  regard  for  these 
organizations  and  the  work  they  do  for  the  churches 
throughout  the  world. 


Bibliography 


"  The  Sacred  Tenth,"  Henry  Lansdell. 
«  Alienated  Tithes,"  Henry  Grove,  published  about  1896. 
"  The  History  of  Sacrilege,"  Henry  Spellman,  1698. 
"  De  Legibus  Hebrseorum,"  Spencer,  p.  729,  1727. 
"  Jewish  Antiquities,"  Jennings,  p.  183. 
"  De  Jur.  Pauperura,"  Book  VI,  Chapter  4,  Maimonides. 
«  The  Laws  of  Moses,"  Michaelis,  Sec.  192,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  143. 
t*  Antiquities  of  the  Hebrews,"  Reland,  p.  359. 
"  Jahn's  Antiquities,"  Sec.  389. 
"  Moses  and  Aaron,"  Godwyn,  p.  136. 
Smith's  «  Bible  Dictionary." 
The  Book  of  Tobit. 
The  Book  of  Maccabees. 
«*  Antiquities,"  Josephus,  Book  IV,  Chapter  8. 
"  The  Antiquities  of  Israel,"  Ewald. 
«  De  Proemiis  Sacerdotum,"  Philo  Judaeus. 
"  The  Law  of  the  Tithe,"  Miller. 
"  Prolegomena,"  Wellhausen. 

Robinson's  "  Biblical  Encyclopaedia,"  article,  "  Tithes." 
SchafF  Herzog  "  Encyclopaedia." 
Liddell  and^Scott's  "  Greek  Lexicon  Unabridged." 
Gesenius'  "  Hebrew  Lexicon." 
Fuerst's  "  Hebrew  Lexicon." 
«•  The  Jewish  Encyclopaedia." 
Thayer's  "  Greek  Lexicon'to  the  New  Testament." 
"  International  Encyclopaedia." 
St.  Jerome,  "  In  Ezek.  1:3." 
"  History  of  Tithes,"  Selden. 
"  Christian  Stewardship,"  Duncan. 
"  The  Tithe,"  E.  B.  Stewart. 
"  De  Decimis  Judaeorum,"  J.  H.  Hottlinger,  1618. 

249 


250  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

**  Sixtinus  amana,  Com.  de  Decimis  Mos.,"  i6r8. 

"  Diat.  de  Decimis,  app.  ad  Deut.  26."    Scaliger,  app.,  pp.  135  sq., 

619  sq. 
"  Hebrew  Archaeology,"  Nowack,  Vol.  II,  pp.  257-359. 
Driver's  "  Deuteronomy,"  pp.  166-173. 
See  also  the  footnotes  throughout  this  work. 


Etymological  Note 


A.  S. :  Teodian— To  levy  a  tenth,  a  tenth  part. 

O.  E. :  Tithe— Tethe. 

A.  S.  :  Teotha. 

Ger. :  Zehnte. 

Icel.:  Tiund. 

Goth.:  Taihunda. 

Tenth  and  tithe  are  doubtlets.     The  true  English  word  is  tithe. 

Anglo-Saxon  numerals  : 

Threotyne — thirteen. 
Feower-tyne — fourteen. 
Fiftyne — fifteen. 
Sixtyne — sixteen. 
Seofontyne — seventeen. 
Eahtatyne — eighteen. 
Nigontyne — nineteen. 
Twentig — twenty. 
The  above  table  illustrates  the  use  of  tyne,  or  ten,  modified  into 
teen  in  modern  English. 

A.  S. :  Teothung-ceap — Tithe-stock,  stock  paid  as  tithe. 

Teothung-land — Probably  land  subject  to  tithe,  although 

Bosworth  speaks  doubtfully  on  this  point. 
Teothung-sceatt — A  tax  of  a  tenth,  a  tithe. 
See  the  « Century  Dictionary,"  article,  "  Tithe " ;  Kemble's 
"  Saxons  in  England,"  Vol.  II,  p.  lo ;  Bosworth's  «•  Anglo-Saxon 
Dictionary,"  article,  «'  Teothung,"  etc. ;  Stormonth's  "  English  Dic- 
tionary," article,  "  Tithe  " ;  Skeat's  ««  Etymological  Dictionary,"  ar- 
ticle, «  Tithe." 


251 


Allusions  to  Tithing  in  the  Classical 
Writers 


I  Maccabees,  1 1 :  35. 
Herodotus,  i :  89. 

4:152. 

5:77. 

7  :  132. 

9:81. 
Diodorus  Siculus,  5  ;  42. 

"••33- 
20 :  14. 

Pausanias,  5  :  10,  sec.  2. 
10  :  10,  sec.  I. 
Dionysius  Halicarnassus,  I  :  19,  23. 
Justin,  18:7. 
Arist.  CEcon.,  2  :  2. 
Livy,  5  :  21. 
Polybius,  9 :  39. 
Cic.  Verr.,  2  :  3,  6,  7. 
Pro.  leg.  Mar.,  6. 
Plutarch,  Agesilaus,  Chap.  19,  p.  389. 
Pliny,  Natural  History,  14  :  14. 
Macrobius,  Sat.,  3  :  6. 
Xenophon,  Hell.,  i  :  7,  10. 
4:3.21. 
Inscr.  Gr.  (Rose),  p.  215. 
Xenophon,  Anab,  5  :  3-9. 


252 


Biblical  References  to  Tithing 

As   given  by  Strong's   **  Exhaustive   Con- 
cordance " 


Tithe,  to  give,  have,  pay,  receive,  take  tithes,  to 
I.  Give  a  tenth,  'W^^asar. 


Deut.  4:22. 
Neh.  10:37. 

2.  To  give  a  tenth,  "Ili^JJ. 

Neh.  10 :  38. 

3.  To  give  away  a  tenth,  d-itO' 

dekaroio. 
Matt.  23  :  23. 
Luke  1 1 :  42. 
Luke  18:  12. 
Heb.  7  :  5. 

4.  To  give  a  tenth,  dsKardut. 

Heb.  7  :  6. 
Heb.  7:9. 

TitAe 
Lev.  27 :  30. 
Lev.  27  :  32. 
Num.  18:26. 
Deut.  12:17. 
Deut.  14  :  22. 
Deut.  14:23. 
Deut.  14 :  28. 
2  Chron.  31:5. 
Neh.  10:38. 


Neh.  13:  12. 
Matt.  23 :  23. 
Luke  1 1 :  42. 


Tithes 
Gen.  14 :  20. 
Lev.  27:31. 
Num.  18:24. 
Num.  18:26. 
Num.  18 :  28. 
Deut.  12;  6. 
Deut.  12:  II. 
Deut.  26:12. 
2  Chron.  31  :  I2. 
Neh.  10:37. 
Neh.  10:38. 
Neh.  1 2  :  44. 
Neh.  13:5. 
Amos  4 : 4. 
Mai.  3 : 8. 
Mai.  3 :  10. 
Luke  18:22. 
Heb.  7 : 5. 
Heb.  7:6. 
Heb.  7  : 8. 
Heb.  7 : 9. 

Tithing 
Deut.  26:12. 


253 


Index  of  Passages  in  Old  Testament  and  New 
Testament  Referring  to  Tithing 

As  given  by  Young's  "  Concordance  " 

2  Chron.  31:6. 
I.  A  tenth,  '^'W)jn=^fnaaser,  2  Chron.  31:12. 

~~  Neh.  10:37. 

Gen.  14:20.  S^u-'°  =  3^- 

Lev.  27: 30.  S^^'^•44• 

Lev.  27:31.  Neh.  13:5,12. 

Lev.  27: 32.  t^^^'^'J^' 

Num.  18:24.  JJ^-3:8. 

Num.  18:26;  Mai.  3:10. 

Num.  18 :  28.  rry      '  1    !.:...•» 

Deut.  12:6.  *•  To  give  a  tenth,  "^^V^^^^asar. 

Deut.  12:  II. 

Deut.  12:17.  •^®"*-  26:12. 

Deut.  14 :  23.  3.  A  tenth  part,  dsfcdrrj^dekatl 

Deut.  14:28.  Heb.  7:8. 

Deut.  26 :  12.  Heb.  7 : 9. 

2  Chron.  31:5. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


254 


^K  INITIAL  rl^^Oj  25  CEJTS 

DAY    AND    TO    *'0  

OVERDUE.  


LD  21_100«i-8,'34 


r 


>'B  29/98 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


